Ma’Amoul

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour into large mixing bowl.  Work the butter into the flour and mix thoroughly by hand. Add orange blossom or rose water, followed by milk or water and work the dough until it is soft, malleable and easy to shape.

Date Filling: Put 1lb chopped pitted dates in saucepan with about 1/4 cup water.  Cook over  low heat, stir until dates have softened into an almost homogenous mass. Cool.

Nut Filling: Mix nuts with sugar. Add rose water if you are using almonds or pistachios.  Add cinnamon if you are using walnuts.  Mix well.

Ma’Amoul can have many different shapes (and fillings). For a ball shape, take a walnut - size lump of dough, roll it into a ball and hollow it out with your thumb. Pinch the sides up to make a pot and put in filling.  Then press and pinch dough back over the filling returning it to ball shape.

Place the balls on a baking sheet. Make dents on the tops with a fork or tweezers.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. Do not let pastries get brown.  They will become hard and the taste will be spoiled.  While they are still warm, they will appear soft and uncooked, but on cooling they will become firm.  When cooled, roll them in confectioner’s sugar.  They keep for a long time in a tightly closed container.