Lebanese Maamoul Biscuits (Mamoul Biscuits)

This recipe was given to me by a Lebanese family member. I made some small changes to it and I divided the original recipe by 4. As I was told, maamouls are usually made in Lebanon as an Easter dessert. In Cyprus we offer them as a treat to weddings.

There are different variations: with walnut filling, pistachio filling or date filling. According to my taste all three are delicious!!!!!!!!

This was my first attempt of making them, and to be honest, I did not refrigerate them before baking, so their shape after baking was a bit like a UFO instead of a maamoul :-).

Below you can find photos of all the steps. I hope that you will find it easy to make. Good luck!!

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1st Day

 With an electric mixer beat the butter with the icing sugar until light and fluffy.

 Sift flour, semolina and mahlepi together.

 Add them to the butter and combine.

Add the rose water and the orange blossom water and mix well.

 Allow to rest at room temperature over night.

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2nd Day

Mix all filling ingredients together and let aside to rest for ½ an hour.

 With a tablespoon form dough balls; cover with a clean film.

Form a well into the biscuit dough.

Then fill it with the pistachio ball.

 Cover the pistachio filling with the biscuit dough.

Use the maamoul special equipment to form the shape that you like.

Press the dough well into the equipment, so as to take the proper shape.

 Place them on an oven tray, 5cm apart from each other.

 Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the biscuits from the oven tray to a wire rack.

 Maamoul Biscuits(Makes 28 biscuits)


Biscuit Ingredients
250gr all purpose flour
250gr fine semolina
225gr unsalted butter (at room temperature)
100gr icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon of mahlep powder
1 tablespoon of rose water
1 tablespoon of orange blossom water 

Filling Ingredients
2 cups of raw pistachio nuts
¼ cup of caster sugar
1 tsp of rose water
1 tsp of water with bitter orange flavor
¼ cup of water (room temperature)

Biscuit Preparation
1st Day:
1. With an electric mixer beat the butter with the icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, semolina and mahlep together; add them to the butter and combine.
3. Add the rose water and the orange blossom water and mix well.
4. Allow to rest at room temperature over night, covered with clean film.

2nd Day:
1. Mix all filling ingredients together and let aside to rest for ½ an hour.
2. With a teaspoon form small pistachio balls; cover with a clean film.
3. With a tablespoon do the same with the biscuit dough.
4. Form a well into the biscuit dough and then fill it with the pistachio ball; then cover the pistachio filling with the biscuit dough.
5. Use the maamoul special equipment to form the shape that you like. If you do not have this equipment you can bake them in any form that you like.
6. Refrigerate for ½ an hour; place them on an oven tray 5cm apart from each other. 
7. Preheat the oven to 190ºC and bake maamoul for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the biscuits become golden brown.

8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the biscuits from the oven tray to a wire rack.