How to Make Lebanese Easter Cookies - A Step-by-Step Guide

Lebanese Easter cookies, also known as ma'amoul, are a traditional dessert enjoyed by Lebanese families during the Easter holiday. These delectable treats are made with a buttery shortbread-like dough, filled with a sweet and fragrant mixture of dates, walnuts, or pistachios, and then shaped into beautiful intricate molds.

Ma'amoul is a beloved and cherished part of Lebanese culture, and making these cookies is a labor of love that is often passed down through generations. The process...

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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds butter
  • 4 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 9 cups semolina flour
  • 8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoons quick rise yeast
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground mahleb
  • ¼ cup black sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup rose water
  • ¼ cup orange flower water
  • 1 cup warm water

Information

  • Prep Time: 2 hrs
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Additional Time: 8 hrs
  • Total Time: 10 hrs 10 mins
  • Servings: 60
  • Yield: 60 cookies

  • In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar and water; continue stirring to dissolve sugar. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Measure flours into a large bowl. Add melted butter, yeast, spices, and sesame seeds; stir slowly for about 10 minutes to thoroughly blend ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave dough in bowl to rest for 1 hour.
  • Prepare 3 baking sheets with cooking spray or parchment paper. In a small bowl, pour the rose water and orange flower water. Pour the warm water in to a second small bowl. Working on a floured board, pull off about 1 cup of dough. Dip your fingers first in the warm water and knead the dough a few minutes; then dip the dough in the flower water and knead it again until the dough is soft and pliable.
  • Use the palm of your hand to roll the ball of dough into a rope 12 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cut the rope in half and make a wreath-shaped cookie with each one, pinching the ends together. Place on a baking sheet. When you have filled a baking sheet, cover the cookies with a clean towel and refrigerate overnight to rest the dough.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove baking sheets from the refrigerator to warm up while the oven preheats. Bake cookies in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  • Nutrition

    198 cal.

    • Total Fat: 10g
    • Saturated Fat: 6g
    • Cholesterol: 24mg
    • Sodium: 66mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 26g
    • Dietary Fiber: 1g
    • Total Sugars: 13g
    • Protein: 2g
    • Calcium: 12mg
    • Iron: 1mg
    • Potassium: 31mg

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