Holiday date and nut cakes
“With a Muslim mother and a Christian father I had twice as many holidays as most people,” says Kassis. “This meant double the amount of ma’amoul, which are synonymous with holidays for both Christians and Muslims in Palestine.” Begin this recipe a day ah
MAKES ABOUT 30 // PREP TIME 2 HRS // COOK 5-10 MINS (PLUS RESTING)
1 kg fine semolina
500 gm butter, at room temperature
60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
250 gm plain flour
½ tsp mastic ground with ½ tsp sugar (optional; see note) ½ tsp ground mahlab (optional; see note)
1 tsp dried yeast
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp rosewater
4 tbsp orange blossom water Pure icing sugar, to serve DATE FILLING (OPTION 1) 1 kg date paste (see note) 2 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp each ground nutmeg and cloves NUT FILLING (OPTION 2) 1 kg coarsely chopped walnuts or pistachio nuts (or a combination of both) 200 gm white sugar
2 tbsp orange blossom water 2 tbsp rosewater
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Place semolina, butter and oil in a large bowl and work with your hands until combined and it resembles wet sand (at least 10-15 minutes). Cover with plastic wrap and rest overnight.
2 The next day, add flour, mastic, mahlab and 1 tsp salt to semolina and gently rub in with your hands. Add yeast, sugar, rosewater and orange blossom water and mix to combine. Begin adding water, a tablespoon at a time and knead gently (do not overmix, or your ma’amoul will be tough) until a clump of dough holds together without crumbling. Cover and leave to rest (15-30 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, for date filling, knead ingredients in a bowl until combined, then shape into grape-sized balls (this makes three times what you’ll need, so keep remaining for another batch, or reduce quantities as desired). Or, for nut filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
4 For date cakes, take a walnut-sized piece of dough, flatten slightly, and place a date ball in the centre. Enclose filling completely and roll into a ball. Slightly flatten with your palm, then, with the round tip of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the middle of the cake and decorate with a metal pincher or decorative mould (or pinch with your fingernails).
5 For nut cakes, take a piece of dough and use your thumb to create an indentation in the centre. Fill with about 1 tsp nut mixture and enclose, carefully forming a dome or oblong shape, then decorate.
6 Preheat oven to 200°C and line two baking trays with baking paper. Place cakes on trays and bake until bases are a very light golden brown (5-10 minutes). Remove and cool completely.
7 Dust with icing sugar before serving. Cakes will keep in an airtight container for 7-10 days at room temperature or in the freezer for 3 months.
Note Mastic is available from herbies.com.au. Mahlab, a spice made from ground cherry pits, and date paste are available from select
Middle Eastern grocers.