Butter Maamoul with Pistachio Filling

Ingredients

• 250 g butter at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup fine semolina (for sweets)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon powdered milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup combined rose water and orange blossom water
• Small pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon mahleb (optional)
• Pistachio filling:
• Shelled pistachios, chopped or coarsely ground
• Powdered (icing) sugar
• 1 teaspoon ghee (samna)
• To make date-filled maamoul click: Date Maamoul

Method

1. Mix all the dry ingredients, then add the butter and knead by hand until the flour and semolina fully absorb the butter.
2. Add the rose water and orange blossom water and knead until you have a cohesive dough.
3. Let the dough rest for half an hour, then begin shaping.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pistachio filling: mix the pistachios with powdered sugar and ghee until the filling holds together.
5. Roll the dough into medium balls, make a cavity in each, fill it, seal, and press with a maamoul mold.
6. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of a baking tray and arrange the maamoul on it.
7. Bake the tray at 180°C until the cookies take on a light pink/golden hue.
8. Let the butter maamoul with pistachio filling cool before serving.
9. Dust the maamoul with powdered sugar when serving.
10. Note: You can substitute pistachios with walnuts to make walnut maamoul