Date Stuffed Semolina Cookie (Makroudh)
Makroudh is a North African sweet pastry filled with dates and nuts or almond paste, that has a diamond shape – the name derives from this characteristic shape. Wikipedia
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups semolina fine or medium
- 2 1/2 sticks melted butter
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 3/4 cups date paste or ground dates
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup honey
- 3 cups oil for deep frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, put the semolina, butter, sugar and salt, work them by crushing them together between your hands. Add lukewarm water and knead the dough until it is smooth and homogenous. Let it rest for a while.
- In another bowl, mix together the date paste, orange blossom water and cinnamon.
- Warm the honey over a low fire.
- Shape the dough into a roll, slit it in the middle and insert into the slit little cigars of date paste. Seal the roll and smooth it, then slice it in 1-inch thick slices that you flatten gently with your hand. Fry the pastries in heated oil on both sides then dip them in lukewarm honey. Drain them and when cooled put them in a jar that you seal hermetically.