Maamoul

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• Dates paste 2 tablespoons (pitted dates about 15 to 20)
• Sugar coated ginger candy 5 6 pieces ( or dry ginger powder 1/4 tsp) (optional)
• Water 2 tablespoons
• Salt a pinch

For the Cookie Dough:

• Flour 2 cups (= 1 cup wheat flour + 1 cup All purpose flour)
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Confectioner's sugar 1 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons for dusting (powdered sugar)
• Salt a pinch
• Butter 1/2 cup
• Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons
• Milk (boiled and cooled) 1/4 cup

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Preparation

• To make the filling:
  Puree the dates and ginger candy with 2 tablespoons of water.Add a pinch of salt and blitz to a smooth paste.Leave it aside.
• To make the cookie dough:
  In a bowl, sift both the flours and add the salt,baking powder, butter and oil and mix well to a crumbly mix.Add the oil and bring knead well to bring into a nice smooth dough.
  Add the milk and make a smooth dough.
  Cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour.
  Now divide into small lemon sized balls (makes about 20 cookies)
• To make the cookies :
  Preheat the oven at 250C.
  Take a ball of dough and roll into a circle the size of your palm(almost). Place about a teaspoon of the filling.
  Repeat above step for the rest of the dough.OR if like me make some plain short bread cookies in any shapes you like of the plain cookie dough too.And sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Place the cookies about a few cms apart from each other (they do expand a bit).
  Bake these cookies at 220C until the tops are whitish and the bottoms are lightly brown for about 22-25 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes and they are ready to go...beautiful Ma'amoul cookies!!