Layered Maamoul with Cream (Maamoul Mad bil Qashta)

Ingredients

• 3 cups semolina
• 1 1/2 cups "farikha" flour or fine semolina
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup orange blossom water
• 1/2 cup rose water
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1 teaspoon powdered mahaleb (mahlab)
• Cream (Qashta):
• 2 cups powdered milk
• 3/4 cup "farikha" flour
• 5 cups water
• Small knob of butter
• 1 tin of Puck cream (Qimir) or similar
• This layered maamoul with cream is from a friend and cook on Shou Tabkhin El-Youm:
• Salam Hijazi (Umm Hadi)
• Click Salam’s name to visit her page on Shou Tabkhin El-Youm
• For more of Salam’s sweet recipes see: How to Make Homemade Petit Four

Method

1. Mix all the cream ingredients in a pot except the butter and the packed cream. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
2. When it thickens, add the packed cream and the butter, stir until the butter melts, then remove from the heat.
3. Let the cream cool before using.
4. Melt the butter and mix all the dough ingredients except the orange blossom and rose water. Bring the dough together, then let it rest for one hour.
5. After one hour add the orange blossom and rose water, mix well, and let the dough rest another hour.
6. Divide the dough for the layered maamoul into two portions. Line the baking pan with plastic wrap and spread the first layer, then lift it with the wrap and refrigerate it.
7. Roll out the second layer in the pan, spread the cream evenly over it, then place the first chilled layer on top and remove the plastic wrap.
8. Bake the pan on the middle rack at moderate temperature until the edges are browned, then brown the top.
9. Remove from the oven and pour 1 1/2 cups of syrup (qater) over it while it’s hot. Let it cool before serving.