# Date Maamoul with Semolina

> Maamoul that crumbles in the mouth comes down to two things: **resting the dough overnight** so the semolina fully absorbs the ghee, and **baking it pale** — it should leave the oven almost white, because browning means it has dried out.

**Lebanese Cuisine · 58 min · 30 servings · 145 kcal per serving**

Maamoul is the biscuit of Eid across the Levant and Egypt, stamped in wooden moulds and filled with dates, walnuts or pistachios. It is not difficult, but it demands patience the night before.

## Ingredients

- 3 cups — fine semolina
- 1 cup — coarse semolina
- 1 cup — melted ghee
- 0.25 cup — icing sugar
- 1 tbsp — orange blossom water
- 1 tbsp — rose water
- 0.5 cup — warm water
- 500 g — date paste
- 2 tbsp — ghee
- 1 tsp — cinnamon

## Method

1. **Rub the ghee in** — Combine both semolinas and rub the warm melted ghee through them with your hands for **a full 10 minutes** until every grain is coated. Thorough rubbing is the foundation of the crumb.
2. **Rest overnight** — Cover and leave **overnight at room temperature**. Semolina takes hours to absorb the ghee — dough baked the same day comes out hard.
3. **Finish the dough** — The next day add the icing sugar and the flower waters, then the warm water **gradually** until it just holds together. Do not knead — simply bring it together.
4. **Prepare the filling** — Work the date paste with the ghee and cinnamon until it is **soft and easy to shape**. If it is dry add a spoonful of warm water — dry filling draws moisture out of the whole biscuit.
5. **Shape** — Take a ball of dough, open it in your palm, place a smaller ball of date inside and seal it, then press it into the maamoul mould and knock it out onto the tray.
6. **Bake pale** — Bake at **160°C for 15 to 18 minutes**. They must come out **pale**, with only the base turning golden — browning means they are dry, and they finish setting as they cool.

## Tips

- The overnight rest is not optional — it is the difference between maamoul that crumbles and maamoul that is hard.
- They leave the oven pale. Brown means dried out, and there is no way back.
- Keep the filling soft, not dry — dry filling pulls moisture out of the dough.
- Cool them completely before dusting with icing sugar; on warm biscuits it dissolves and disappears.

## FAQ

### Why is my maamoul hard?
The dough did not rest overnight, or you baked it until brown. Semolina needs hours to absorb the ghee, and baking must stop while the biscuits are still pale.

### Why does it crack on top?
The dough is too dry or has too little water. Add the warm water gradually until the dough holds together without cracking when you roll it in your palm.

### How long does it keep?
Two weeks in an airtight tin somewhere cool and dry, and three months frozen. Freeze after baking and complete cooling, and thaw at room temperature.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/lebanese-cuisine/date-maamoul-with-semolina
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-13