0 WALNUT MA'AMOUL - MA'AMOULS AUX NOIX

As this year, both the Eid Ul-Fitr festival (marking the end of the Ramadan) and Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) coincide (20th and 19th of September), I thought that it'd be a good idea if I offered a recipe that brings us back to the time when both Muslim and Jewish people cohabited in harmony and were close...

So after a lot of thinking and some researching, I came to the conclusion that the cookie which would be the best symbol of peace, friendship, respect and tolerance is the Middle Eastern shortbread pastry known under the name of "Ma'amoul" (meaning "filled cookie" in Arabic).

Not only is it adored in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and other Levantine countries, but it also very popular amid Arab Christians as well as amid the Lebanese and Egyptian (Sepharadic) Jewish communities.

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I am organizing an event called "Pastries For Peace" (thanks Kiriel for the idea). Anybody can participate. The roundup will take place on the 7th of December 2009 and the deadline is the 1st of December 2009. Just send your links to grandchampatgmxdotch.

J'organise un jeu qui s'appel "Pastries For Peace (Pâtisseries Pour La Paix)" et qui est ouvert à tous. Toutes vos participations seront visible dès le 7 décembre 2009 et le délai de participation est fixé au 1er décembre 2009. Envoyez tous vos lien à grandchampatgmxdotch.

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Choosing this recipe also meant that the baker I am was going to get challenged as I had never made "Ma'amouls" before and had always been intimidated by Middle Eastern pastries, although I had been dying to experiment with those delicacies since a very long time. I always chickened out because they seemed so complicated to produce. I know, stupid me, as usual...

Anyway, with my pristine tabi (wooden mould) desperately waiting to get used, I could not skip the opportunity to finally jump in the cold water and test my baking skills on a sweet treat which is so different from what we know in the Western world!

Fortunately for me, this incursion into the art of making pastries the Arabic way turned out extremely well. My creations looked not too bad and were mouthwateringly good!

Those "Ma'amouls" are very unusual, refined and unique in aesthetics, flavor and composition. Not only are they very pretty, but they also taste like heaven. With their crisp flaky pastry and soft filling, those nutty, not overly sweet and delightfully fragrant cookies will conquer you instantly.

Eid Moubarak!
&
Shana Tova!

~ Walnut Ma'amoul ~
Recipe by Camille at "Cakes In The City" (France) and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Makes about 50 small ma'amouls.

Ingredients for the "Pastry":
500g Fine semolina (or 400g fine semolina and 100g flour)
30g Powder sugar
1 Pinch Salt
1 Tsp Baking powder
250g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
60ml Milk
60ml Orange blossom water
Ingredients for the "Filling":
150g Walnuts
The zest of one organic orange
2-3 Tbs Powder sugar
2-3 Tbs Water
Powder sugar for dusting

Method for the "Pastry":
1. In a big bowl, mix together the semolina (and flour if you use any), sugar, salt and baking powder.
2. Add the butter and rub between the fingers until the mixture is flaky.
3. Add the milk and orange blossom water and lightly knead the dough for 1 minute.
4. Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in plastic foil and put in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Method for the "Filling":
5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: put all the ingredients in a mixer and blend until it ressembles a paste.
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C (° F).
7. Take a small portion of dough and shape it into a ball. Make a hole with your thumb.
8. Fill the hole with the walnut paste and close the ball. Process in the same way with the remaining pastry and filling.
9. With the help of a floured tabi (decorative mould) shape the balls into ma'amoul cookies by packing each ball into the mould and then tapping the cookies out onto the work area with a sharp firm hit to the top of the mold.
10. Transfer cookies to baking sheet with a spatula and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes (stop baking as soon as the sides are starting to get golden brown).
11. Let cool on a rack.
12. Cover the cookies with powdered sugar.

Remarks:
I found two videos for you (video 1 & video 2) that might help you. Check them out if in doubt when it comes to shaping those ma'amoul!
Maamoul are very delicate cookies which you have to manipulate wih care. Let them cool completely before manipulating them.
If you don't have a tabi, then just shape the balls as indicated, put them on the baking sheet and flatten them slightly and decorate the cookies with tweezers.

Serving suggestions:
Eat those cookies with mint tea or Arabic coffee.

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~ Ma'amouls Aux Noix ~
Recette par Camille de "Cakes In The City" (France) et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour environ 50 petits ma'amouls.

Ingrédients pour la "Pâte":
500g de Semoule fine (ou 400g de semoule fine et 100g de farine)
30g de Sucre en poudre
1 Pincée de sel
1 CC de Levure chimique
250g de Beurre, à température ambiante
60ml de Lait
60ml d'Eau de fleur d'oranger
Ingrédients pour la "Farce":
150g de noix de Grenoble
Le zeste râpé d'une orange bio
2-3 CS de Sucre en poudre
2-3 CS d'Eau
Sucre glace, pour la finition

Méthode pour la "Pâte":
1. Dans un grand saladier mélanger la semoule (et la farine si vous en utilisez), le sucre, le sel et la levure.
2. Ajouter le beurre ramolli et travailler du bout des doigts pour obtenir un mélange sablé.
3. Ajouter enfin le lait et l'eau de fleur d'oranger, puis pétrir la pâte pendant une minute.
4. Former une boule de pâte que vous laisserez reposer pendant 1 heure au frigo, emballée dans un film plastique.
Méthode pour la "Farce":
5. Pendant ce temps, préparer la garniture: mettre tous les ingrédients de la garniture dans un mixer afin d'obtenir une masse collante et homogène.
6. Préchauffer le four à 160°C.
7. Prendre une petite portion de pâte, la rouler en boule et y creuser un trou en y enfonçant le pouce.
8. Remplir la cavité de farce et refermer la boule. Poursuivre jusqu'à épuisement des ingrédients.
9. Façonner chaque petite boule à l'aide d'un tabi (moule à ma'amouls/voir 3ième image depuis le haut) en l'enfonçant dans le creux du moule, puis en le tapant ensuite très énergiquement sur une planche à découper pour démouler le ma'amoul.
10. Disposer les biscuits sur une plaque à pâtisserie recouverte de papier sulfurisé et faire cuire pendant 12 à 15 minutes (arrêter la cuisson quand les bords commencent à dorer).
11. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.
12. Saupoudrer de sucre glace avant de les servir.

Remarques:
J'ai trouvé 2 vidéos qui pourraient vous intéresser (video 1 & video 2). Jettez-y un coup d'oeil car elles sont très utiles afin de comprendre comment former un ma'amoul!
Les Maamouls sont des petites choses très friables, il faut donc les laisser refroidir complètement avant de les manipuler.
Si vous n'avez pas de Tabi, disposer simplement les boules de pâte sur une plaque de cuisson recouverte de papier sulfurisé. Les aplatir légèrement avec la paume de la main et les décorer à l'aide d'une pince de décoration.

Idée de présentation:
Servez ces biscuits avec un thé à la menthe ou un café arabe.