Maamoul / Cashew and Fig Stuffed Cookie

This Cashew and Fig stuffed Cookie is similar to the Maamoul or Ma'amoul from the Middle East. The Maamoul is a shortbread cookie with a sweet filling - most commonly dates and sometimes with pistachios or walnuts. This stuffed cookie is only mildly sweet unlike most cookies from around the world. A wide range of ingredients can be used as stuffing only that it should be dry so that the cookie dough is not moistened due to it. Today, I have used two different fillings to make these stuffed cookies - the smaller set with tutti frutti and the bigger one with fig and cashew nut mix.

This is a very easy recipe and all you need to do is measure the ingredients and make into a dough. And the stuffing can be of your choice and taste. But, truth said, my first batch of Maamoul did not turn out well - I used salted butter and it really tasted salty. Then the temperature and time I set my oven to was not right, it burnt my cookies. But I did another batch right away all the way through and managed to get it right. And now I have this recipe for keeps.

Ingredients
All Purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups
Powdered Sugar - 2/3 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Butter, unsalted - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup (maybe an additional 1 tbsp)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Powdered sugar for dusting - 1/4 cup
for filling
Figs, dry - 8 to 10
Cashew nuts - 20 to 25
Tutti frutti - 3 to 4 tbsp
I used two different fillings today - plain tutti frutti for one and a mix of the figs and cashew nuts for the other. Wash the figs well and dry them. In a blending jar add the cashew nuts and powder it then add the figs and pulse a few times till the two are well blended. Take it into a bowl and keep till ready to use.

In a bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and powder sugar. Melt the butter but use it only when it comes to room temperature. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, oil and milk and with a soft hand make a ball of dough. This dough should not be over kneaded but just till the dough comes together.

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius.
Make equal sized balls of the cookie dough. I used a tablespoon measure to make 20 balls and then with the rest of the dough used a teaspoon measure to make 9 equal sized balls. Keep the dough balls in a covered container as you make the stuffed cookie. Take a ball of bough and massage between the palms into a ball then make an indent and put in the stuffing and pull the dough from all sides and cover the stuffing and softly roll in your hands to make it into a ball again. Flatten it slightly and place it on the baking tray. Do the same for all the balls of dough. Keep each of the cookies about 1 inch apart on the baking tray. Slide the tray into the oven and bake till the cookies are light golden which will take about 20 to 30 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then dust with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.

 

 

My Maamoul / Cashew and Fig Stuffed Cookies are going to
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