ma'amoul cookie recipe easy jewish cookies purim Rosh Hashanah
Photo credit Shlomo Schwartz

Easy Ma’amoul Cookies

They taste just as good as original, and are ready in half the time.

Ma’amoul is a traditional small pastry from the Levant (the area between Syria in the north and Egypt in the south including Lebanon, Israel and Palestine). Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in this area, alongside each other for over 1,500 years. Among the many cultural and culinary traditions they share are the date and walnut-stuffed cookies called ma’amoul.

For many, this Middle Eastern treat is a sweet bite of nostalgia, as the cookies are associated with certain holidays and special occasions. Muslims eat them to break the fast during the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Christians nibble on them before the Lent and while celebrating Easter, and Jews enjoy them during Purim, when they’re filled with nuts, and Rosh Hashanah, when they’re filled with dates.

You can find many types of ma’amoul around the region, with different names, fillings and shapes. In Lebanon, you can find seven kinds of this pastry! Traditional ma’amoul is round and formed into unique shapes using hand-carved wooden molds or by using special decorating tweezers that form different pattern. Jewish ma’amoul stands out in that it’s made with pure white flour instead of semolina.

mamoul in process

Forming each cookie individually is a labor of love, so you can take a shortcut with my recipe for “lazy ma’amoul” if you’re short on time. It tastes just as good as the original. In the spirit of the variety of fillings for ma’amoul, I added crumbled halvah and chopped pecans to the traditional date filling. You can find date spread on Amazon or Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
mamoul cookies recipe easy jewish
Photo credit Shlomo Schwartz

Easy Ma’amoul Cookies

By rolling these traditional cookies instead of intricately decorating them by hand, they’re ready in a fraction of the time.

  • Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Scale

For the dough:

  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 10 ½ oz butter or margarine, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • ½ cup water, at room temperature
  • zest of 1 lemon

For the filling:

  • 1 ½ cup date spread
  • 4 oz crumbled halva
  • ¾ cup chopped roasted pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 340°F.
  2. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix all of the dough ingredients until fully combined. You can use a mixer with a hook attachment if you prefer. Cut in to two portions.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of the dough into a rectangle, ½-inch thick. Trim the edges to refine the rectangle.
  4. Spread half of the date mixture evenly onto the dough and sprinkle half of the halvah and pecans on top.
  5. Carefully roll the dough tightly, starting from the angel that is closer to you, and place the seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Using your fingers pinch the ends of the log to seal. Repeat the same steps with the second half of the dough, and bake them in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and cool for about 10-15 minutes.
  7. Once the dough slightly cools, carefully slice the logs into 1-inch slices using a large knife. (Prevent the dough from crumbling by using a knife that’s not serrated.)
  8. Let the sliced ma’amoul cool completely, and sprinkle a generous amount of confectioner’s sugar before serving.
  • Author: Shlomo Schwartz
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Mizrahi

Directions

 

3 comments

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  • Marcia Greenberg

    These look wonderful. What is the date spread used? Could I make it with tart cherry preserves and nuts? Thanks.marcia

    • The Nosher

      Hi Marcia, you can find Israeli date spread on Amazon, or in Middle Eastern stores. Cherry + nuts sound delicious, too! Please let us know how they turn out.

  • Channa

    Yummy!! Like the “lazy version”, cause I’m a very busy person.
    And still the family enjoyed them, todah!❤❤

Keep on Noshing

Traditional Honey Cake with a Delicious Twist

This cake is transformed with a few easy tweaks.

This Rosh Hashanah Dessert Deserves a Comeback

These honey soaked balls known as "tayglach" are an addictively delicious tradition.

Easy Apple Pie Cookies Recipe

A delightful treat for autumn apples.