Maamoul: Moulded Semolina Cookies with Date Filling

Cook the filling. Warm the dates and butter in the small saucepan over low heat for 5-8 min, mashing with the spoon until they form a thick, smooth paste. Stir in the cinnamon and walnuts and leave to cool. Roll into 20 small balls of about 14 g so the filling is ready when the dough is.

Rub in the butter. Mix the semolina, flour, sugar, salt and mahlab if using in the large bowl. Pour in the melted butter and rub it through with your fingertips for 2-3 min until every grain looks coated. The fat coats the semolina and is what gives maamoul their short, crumbly bite.

Rest the dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 h. During this time the semolina softens and absorbs the butter, so the dough will hold together without kneading.

Bind gently. Add the rose water if using, then enough milk to make a dough that clumps when squeezed; add the last 10 ml only if needed. Mix with a light hand, as working it too much makes the cookies hard.

Fill the cookies. Heat the oven to 175 °C (155 °C fan) and line the trays with baking paper. Flatten a 30 g piece of dough in your palm, put a date ball in the centre and ease the dough up and around it into a smooth ball.

Mould the tops. Press each ball into the mould, level the back with your fingers and tap it out onto a tray. With no mould, flatten into a 5 cm disc and pattern the top with a fork.

Bake pale. Bake for 18-20 min, until the bases are golden while the tops are still pale. Leave on the trays for 10 min, as they are fragile while hot, then cool on the rack.