Ma'mul

I had a variety of jobs when I was a college student, including a stint as an abalone cleaner. The shift leader was a Lebanese woman named Yvette, who taught me to make an entire Lebanese meal including ma'mul, cookies made with clarified butter and shaped in a hand-crafted mold called a "tabi" (also called taabeh or tamreah) which we bought at a Middle Eastern store.

Traditionally, the cookies are filled with pistachios, walnuts or dates scented with orange or rose water. Different molds indicate the type of filling. While ma'mul are available at Middle Eastern bakeries year round, the cookies are "mostly consumed during religious holidays."

I fill my ma'mul with walnuts or pecans flavored with Mexican or bourbon vanilla. imho, ma'mul taste better the second day and are wonderful dunked in morning coffee.

Spelling variations include mamool, mamoul, ma'amoul, in case you're interested in googling to find other versions. This video shows how the cookies are shaped, filled, and molded or decorated. Ma'mul molds are available Dayna's Market and other online sources.

Ma'mul

Ingredients for dough

• 2 c. clarified butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 6 c. flour (if possible, use some semolina to help hold the shape)
• 1 c. lukewarm milk

Ingredients for filling

• 3 c. ground nuts
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 T. of the best vanilla

Directions

1. Mix the filling and set aside.
2. Clarify the butter. ** Five sticks of unsalted butter yield 2 cups of clarified butter.
3. Cream the butter and sugar.
4. Add flour and milk and knead until smooth.
5. Shape walnut-sized chunk in palm until it's about 1/4 inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter.
6. Fill and mold.
7. Tap the ma'mul out and place on ungreased cookie sheet. These cookies don't spread, so they can be placed fairly close together.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly brown.
9. Let cool and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
10. Store in airtight container.

** Clarified butter is also known as drawn butter or ghee. Some Indian and specialty markets sell ghee. If you clarify the butter yourself, use only unsalted butter. What to do with the milk fats you skim off? I spread it on toast.