Ka’ak and Ma’mol are Palestinian cookies stuffed with date paste or nuts, and are served with tea or coffee. The cookies are popular at Eid, Christmas and other holidays. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
Ma'amoul Lebanese Date Cookies Recipe
This authentic recipe for date-filled Lebanese cookies ma'amoul uses wooden molds to give the cookies their distinctive decorative shapes. 4 tablespoons orange blossom water or more as needed, 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, 10 tablespoons date paste cut into small pieces, 5 tablespoons milk, 1 cup clarified butter at room temperature, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or to taste, 2 cups semolina flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground mahlab, 1/2 teaspoon salt