Semolina Maamoul

Ingredients

• 3 cups coarse semolina
• 1 cup cake flour
• Half a cup sugar syrup (qatir)
• 1½ cups ghee (samna)
• 1 teaspoon ground mahleb
• 1 teaspoon mahlab/kaak spice mix
• 3 tablespoons powdered milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Orange blossom water for kneading
• Rose water for kneading
• For the filling:
• Pistachios or any nuts or dates
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• Sugar (granulated or powdered) to taste
• A dash of rose water + a dash of orange blossom water
• For a date filling only: half a teaspoon of ground fennel (shumra)
• Semolina maamoul recipe from friend and chef on Shou Tabkhin Al-Youm:
• Nicole Maawad
• Click Nicole's name to visit her page and discover her delicious recipes
• To get Nicole's recipe for homemade clotted cream (qimeer) click: How to Make Clotted Cream at Home
• For Nicole's recipe for marron glacé dessert click: Chestnut Marron Glacé

Method

1. Put the coarse semolina in a large bowl (without adding the cup of cake flour). Add the ghee and rub it into the semolina until all the melted ghee is absorbed.
2. Cover the bowl with a cloth or plastic and let the mixture rest overnight — about 12 hours.
   Timers: 720 min
3. After the mixture rests, add the cake flour and mix briefly, then add the mahleb, orange blossom and rose water, and the rest of the ingredients except the sugar syrup (qatir).
4. Knead well by hand and let the dough rest for one hour before adding the syrup and mixing the ingredients for the final time.
5. Place half the dough in a 28 cm round oven pan and spread it evenly over the pan.
6. Distribute the filling mixture evenly over the dough in the pan. Leave the pan with the first layer and filling aside for a while so it reaches room temperature.
7. Place the remaining dough between two sheets of plastic (one below and one above with the dough in the middle).
8. Roll the dough with a rolling pin or by hand until you have a layer the size of the pan.
9. Peel off one sheet of plastic, carefully flip the rolled dough over the filling and press gently.
10. If there is extra dough hanging over the edges, remove or trim it with a knife.
11. Place the semolina maamoul pan in a preheated oven at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes until browned.
    Timers: 30 min
12. When you take it out of the oven you may pour warm syrup (qatir) over it if you like it sweeter.
13. Let the semolina maamoul cool completely at room temperature before cutting and serving.