Semolina Maamoul Cookies

Tags

arabic cookies, butter cookies, cookies, eid cookies, maamoul, maamoul date filling, middle eastern, semolina cookies, semolina maamoul, معمول العيد, المعمول بالسميد, حشوات المعمول, طريقة عمل المعمول بالبيت

Maamoul is a  date or nut filled soft buttery cookies enjoyed by all Middle Eastern during religious celebrations, either at Eid El Fitr or Eid Al-Adha and Easter.

Eid El Fitr, is a major muslim feast that marks the end of fasting the whole month of Ramadan. Days before, women start the preparations for Eid that includes a thorough house cleaning, making cookies, and other savory treats. Preparing for Eid also meant that new outfits and shoes had to be purchased for the small children of the family. On the last week of Ramadan, families are busy shopping for the coming Eid celebration. The streets are crowded with shoppers and stores are filled with merchandise.

It is a tradition in Middle East that women gather during the last week of Ramadan to make Maamoul cookies for Eid. Each family has their own Maamoul recipe that pass by from mothers to daughters. For me, It was always a special time when my mom let us set to help her with making and shaping Maamoul. I was always picking the shaping part, guess it was the easiest one. Now, I still making the Maamoul for my family and my kids enjoying the shaping part.

I like to shape my cookies by hand, like the old traditional way. Perhaps, there are many different molds for this sold at Middle Eastern stores, the wooden or plastic one, but by using a special Maamoul clip, a small brass clip with pinked edges, called Malqat, it’s much more fun to see your own decorative patterns on the surface of each cookie.

To make Maamoul you have to manage your time and starts a day before to prepare the dough. The dough must be set a whole day to let the semolina flour time to absorb the butter, which in turn results in a very elastic and soft dough.

You can also make the filling a day a head. Some of the traditional filling is date paste, nuts like pistachio nut filling and pecan filling.

Semolina Maamoul Cookies

• 1 kilo course semolina flour (it’s sometimes called Farina)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon mastic gum
• 1/3 teaspoon mahleb
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups melted butter
• 1/4 cup rose water
• 1/4 cup orange blossom water
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• About 1 cup warm milk

To Prepare The dough:
In a bowl, combine the semolina, all purpose flour. In the coffee grinder, grind the mastic with sugar until powder, then grind the mahleb, add to the semolina and flour.
Mix all together, add the nutmeg and melted butter. Working with your hands, mix the dough until the the semolina flour absorbs all the butter. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight, at least 24 hours.

The day of baking the cookies:
Add the rose and orange water to the dough. Disolve the yeast with 1 cup of the warm milk, sprinkle over the dough. Work the dough with your fingers until it is smooth.
Add more liquid if need it.
Divide the dough into walnut size balls, place it in the palm of your hand and flatten it with the other palm. Make the filling balls half the size of the dough balls. Place the filling ball in the centre and gather the dough around it. Using the traditional clip, pinch the edges. Make decorative patterns all over the surface by lightly pinching the dough with the clip. Avoid puncturing the dough, or the filling will ooze out during baking. Using the Maamoul mold is more easy and quick.
Preheat the oven to 400 f. Place the pastries on baking sheet and bake until are pale blonde, 10 – 15 minutes. Transfer the pastries to racks to cool.

Serving:
Before serving, dust the cookies liberally with powdered sugar by tapping it through a fine mesh sieve.

Storing:
The cookies once cooled can be stored in rigid airtight containers in the freezer for 3 month, thaw and serve at room temperature. The cookies also can keep at room temp for more than 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Date Filling:

• 2 pound Medjoul date, pitted
• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

To Make the Date Filling:
Combine the dates, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, you can use the food processor and pulse until it forms a smooth, thick paste.

If you are making nut filling:

Pistachio filling:

• 3/4 cup shelled unsalted and roasted pistachio
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon soft butter
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Pick over the nuts and remove the shell. Place in a food processor and pulse until they form course crumbs. Add the sugar, melted butter, and orange blossom water, and pulse to form a thick paste.

معمول السميد

١ كيلو سميد خشن
٢ كوب زبده
١/٢ ك طحين
١/٣ م ص مستكه
١/٣ م ص محلب
١/٢ م ص جوز الطيب
١/٤ ك سكر
١/٤ ك ماء زهر
١/٤ ك ماء ورد
١ م ص خميره
١ ك حليب سائل دافي

لكل كيلو سميد له ٢ ك من الزبده او السمنه
وهنا لك حرية الاختيار بين السميد اما يكون سميد خشن لوحده
اوممكن اضافة سميد ناعم بمقدار ٢خشن و١ ناعم
بالنسبه للسمنه ايضا لك الاختيار
احيانا اعمله بسمنه لوحدها وهون استخدم الكريسكو او الغزال او بالزبده لوحدها
نطحن المستكه في مطحنة القهوه مع السكر ونضيفه للسميد
وايضا المحلب نطحنه ونضيفه وايضا الجوز الطيب
كل هذه المقادير يتم عملها وخلطها قبل بيوم على الاقل من عملك للمعمول لانها سوف تنتقع حتى تطرى حبة السميد وتتشرب الدهن

انا من ناحيتي بتركه حسب الفضاوه ممكن يوم او ٢

طريقة الخلط بعد وضع المكونات الاولى للنقع يبس السميد باطرف الاصابع ولا يعجن كطريقة العجين للفطائر حتى لا تتكسر حبات السميد
ملاحظه اذا لاحظت ان السميد تجمد اثناء النقع فلا تقلقي فقط حركيه بملعقه كبيره بخفه بين الحين والاخر

في اليوم التالي
نضيف ١/٤ ك ماء زهر
١/٤ك ماء الورد
ونبسه مره اخرى ونتركه عدة ساعات

نضيف ملعقه صغيره تذوب مع الحليب الدافئ المستخدم للبس النهائي
ويرش على السميد رشات رشات مع استمرار العجن
انا ياخد معي من ١/٢ ك الى ٣/٤ ك ولا تنسي اننا اضفنا ١/٢ ك من الماء زهر والورد
هنا نكون انتهينا من تحضير عجينة السميد

الحشوا ت
التمر :
كيلو تمر منزوع النواه
١/٢ م ص جوز الطيب
١ م ص قرفه
١/٤ كوب زبده لينه
نعجن التمر او نضعه بالخلاط مع باقي المقادير

حشوة الفستق الحلبي:
٣/٤ كوب فستق محمص نيئ
٢ م ك سكر
٢ م ك زبده
١ م ك ماء زهر

فستق حلبي نطحنه جيدا ثم نضيف عليه باقي المقادير ونطحنه مره اخرى حتى نحصل على قوام سميك

حشوة الجوز: جوز نطحنه ناعم قليلا ونضيف قرفه وقطر ويحرك

طريقة الحشي

ناخذ قطعه من السميد مناسبه لحجم القالب المستعمل للطبع ونبسها براحة اليد ونفرده وقطعة من التمر اصغر من عجينة السميد ونكورها ونضعها داخل عجينة السميد ونطبقها ونلفها على شكل كره نضعها بالقالب ونطبعها

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Beat the Heat with Two Refreshing Drinks

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cold drinks, frozen berry, healthy drinks, hibiscus drink, Infused lemonade, lemonade, middle eastern, Ramadan drinks, traditional drinks, كركديه, ليموناده, مشروبات رمضانيه, عصائر

Beat the heat with these two refreshing drinks, Berry Lemonade and Hibiscus Drink.

As heat begins to rise up in summer, the best way to cool off is with refreshing cold drink. Two delicious homemade drinks that I often makes and my family love it.

While Ramadan this year falls in the summer season, drinks takes a much concern of the Iftar table to refresh after fasting and to quench our thirst.

Why Ramadan is so special to me?
There are many drinks that makes Ramadan so special since certain foods remind us of old traditions that we pass onto our children in order to keep our heritage alive. When we used to buy traditional Ramadan ready-made drinks from street peddlers and local markets. Among some of the traditional widely served drinks during Ramadan there is the Qamardean juice, Licorice juice, Tamarinds, and Karkade drink.

Hibiscus Drink (Karkade)

It’s known as a herbal tea, consumed cold or hot. Usually made from steeping hibiscus flowers (Roselle) In boiling water. The strained steeped juice known as karkadé in Levant, and flor de Jamaica in Latin America and US. Dried hibiscus flowers often labeled Flor de Jamaica, have long been available in health food stores in the United States for making this tea, especially in California and other areas influenced by Mexican customs.

Why drink it?
Hibiscus helps lower body temperature, as well as blood pressure. As it contain vitamin C, it’s also known to strengthen your immune system.

Ingredient:

• 1/2 cup hibiscus dried flowers
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1\2 teaspoon orange blossom water

1. Rinse dried flowers in cold water.
2. Heat the water in a saucepan. Once it begins to boil, add the dried hibiscus flowers and the orange blossom water (or any flavouring you prefer).
3. Immediately remove from heat, once boiled, and let the flowers simmer for 10 mins. Pour the water from the pot into a pitcher using a strainer (lined with cheese cloth) to separate the flowers from the water. (Be sure not to pour any of the flower sediment into the pitcher).
4. Refrigerate until chilled

Berry Infused Lemonade

Simple and classy way to introduce the freshly homemade lemonade. The berry adds a lot of flavors to the drink, you can add your favorites. Here I used the frozen triple berry, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry. It also adds a nice red color that you’ll like, the density of the color depends on the amount of frozen berries you add. You don’t have to crush the berries to release the color or flavour, you just let it steep while chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of frozen berries
1. Combine the sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature then refrigerate until chilled.
2. In a pitcher, combine the chilled syrup, the lemon juice and remaining 7 cups of water.
3. Add the berries, combine well with the juice, chill until served.

شراب الكركديه

١/٢ ك زهور الكركديه الناشفه
٣ ١/٢ ك ماء
٣/٤ ك سكر
١/٢ م ص ماء الزهر

نغسل الكركديه بماء بارد. نغلي الماء ونضيف الكركديه نتركه بالماء الساخن ينتقع لمدة ١٠ د نصفيه بقطعة قماش ونضيف السكر وندوبه نضعه بالبراد لحين التقديم مع كمية من التلج

الليموناضه المطعمه بالتوت المشكل

١ ١/٢ ك سكر
٨ ك ماء
١/٢ ك عصير ليمون فرش
١ ك فراوله و توت مشكله
نعمل قطر بكوب ماء وكمية السكر ونحركه حتى يذوب السكر نتركه يبرد. نضيف باقي كمية الماء والليمون ونحركه. نضيف قطع التلج والتوت المشكل من دون هرسه . نحفظه بالبرد لعدة ساعات قبل التقديم نحركه ونضيف المزيد من التلج

Bulgur Pilaf with Ground Beef

Tags

burgol, cracked wheat, ground beef, middle eastern, pilaf, برغل مفلفل

For a hearty main meal, accompany your meat or chicken dish, with a side of bulgur pilaf.

Ramadan is here. For me, it’s the most beloved month of the year, a very special month. We as Muslims, celebrate it in every way possible. Thus, there is a lot of things that makes it special. Ramadan is great because you will experience the hospitable and spiritual acts of our culture, a blissful month, the family gathering. A lot of memories about Ramadan are engraved in our hearts, and will be from year to year. I would like to share with you why is it special for me, one for every post through the end of the month, beginning with childhood memories.

I now believe that the more technological the world becomes, the greater the nostalgia for the days when life was simple. When those past never return days became the sweetest things in your life, where I have fond memories for charming Ramadan nights. Every night we agreed to meet after Iftar (the meal eaten by muslims after sunset), me and my best girlfriends. Celebrating Ramadan nights on our way, making fireworks from some kind of kitchen scrupping sponge and Not like todays fireworks.
How many times we burned our hair, our clothes…
Yes, but it has special kind of happiness, not even my kids nowadays will feel it, may be because it related with the past simple life we had.

If you’re looking for something lighter, healthier than rice, this will be perfect. This pilaf makes a delightfully different accompaniment to my roasted chicken. Nutty and little spicy but not hot. The ground meat adds more value to the pilaf, make it perfect for family gatherings, but you can make it with the meat too. I used the extra coarse grains, first pick it from any possible stones or dirts, then wash and soak for about 5-10 minutes. Sauté the grains first in olive oil for couple of minutes to add a toasty nutty flavors, then add the water. Continue with cooking like you cook rice.

What is Bulgur?
Bulgur is a kind of cracked wheat that is first boiled and then dried and roughly ground to produce the semi processed wheat known as bulgur.
It comes in different colors and grades. Fine, medium, course, and extra coarse. It can be bleached or unbleached.
Bulgur can be steamed or boiled, moistened with butter or oil. It’s texture is a little like brown rice, and it has a nutty, earthy favor.

How to use Bulgur?
The bulgur carries a lot of traditional Arabic flavors and makes an exciting change from your average rice dish. It can be almost as versatile as rice. Its high nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous, too. It features in everything from pilafs to stuffings. The coarsest grade is usually cooked like rice and used to make pilafs and stuffings. The finest grade is used in salads such as Tabbouleh, as well as being a key ingredient in the Lebanese national dish, Kibbeh.

Where to find bulgur in U.S.?
It can be found in natural food stores, Middle Eastern specialty grocers, and some traditional grocery stores. In large stores, like Wal-Mart, it can be found in specialty grain sections.

Bulgur Pilaf

Ingredients

•  1 cup course bulgur soaked in water for 5 minutes
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup ground be
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup pine nut, toasted
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon sumac
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Rinse the Bulgur well in cold water and then put it in a heavy pot with 1 1/2 times it’s volume of fresh water and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, add 2 tablespoon oil then the ground meat and onion, sauté on medium heat, cook for 10 minutes, add salt and pepper and the rest of spices, toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Add the meat mixer to the cooked wheat pilaf, stir gently to mix together, serve warm.
Serve with cardamom and oregano roasted chicken

البرغل المفلفل بخلطة اللحمه المفرومه
١ كوب من البرغل الخشن منقوع بالماء لمدة ٥ دقائق
٣ ملاعق كبيره زيت زيتون
١ كوب لحمه مفرومه
١/٢ كوب بصل مفروم
ملح وفلفل
١/٢ ملعقه صغيره بهار حلو
١/٤ ملعقه صغيره هيل مطحون
١/٤ ملعقه صغيره سماق
١/٣ كوب صنوبر محمص
٢ ملعقه كبيره بقدونس مفروم ناعم

نغسل البرغل جيدا وننقيه من الحصى والاتربه. في طنجره نضيف البرغل و مقدار مره ونص من الماء ونتركه يغلي، اي الكوب يحتاج ١ ١/٢ كوب ماء، نضيف ملعقه من الزيت والملح والفلفل . على نار هادئه ، نغطي الطنجره ونتركه ينضج، يحتاج ١٠ دقائق تقريبا
في مقلاه نضيف باقي الزيت واللحمه والبصل ونقلب ونتركه ينضج على نار متوسطه مع التقليب بين الحين والاخر، تحتاج لعشر دقائق لتنضج تماما، نضيف البهارات الباقيه
نضيف على خليط اللحمه الصنوبر والبقدونس المفروم، نخلط المقادير مع بعضها
ونضيفها الى البرغل المفلفل ونخلطها
تقدم وهي ساخنه

Oven Roasted Fresh Green Chickpeas

Tags

fresh green garbanzo, garbanzo beans, green chickpeas, middle eastern, roasted chickpeas, snacks ideas

Roasted green chickpeas one of the most delicious and healthy middle eastern snacks.

Green chickpeas, or as they known fresh garbanzo beans, are one of the most delicious and healthy middle eastern summer snacks, and it’s my very favorite snack too. I can’t believe when my husband called asking if I want some, he was shopping at a middle eastern food store here in the city when he saw them, it’s the first time I saw them here in the states, I guess they bought them from Mexico or may be California.

My memory about these healthy beauties, back in my country Palestine, where we used to buy them from street venders or some times from traveling trucks, we all gather around to help take off the shelled beans from their branches, then waiting while they grilled to enjoy eating them, their smoky flavor was wonderful.

The best way I can remember to cook them is roasted or grilled, charring gives them a nice smoky flavor, they taste nutty sweet with a hint of edame. The raw chickpeas taste like raw peas. But, when over cook them they taste like over cooked lima beans.

Also, they can be cooked and enjoyed in many ways, as a snack or in a salad or mashed as hummus. You can steam them, grill them, fry them, bake them, microwave them, pan charred or even eat them raw.

Fresh green chickpeas have lots of health benefits. They are a good source of protein, magnesium, and iron, helps lower cholesterol, and blood pressure, and they are good for your heart.

Oven Roasted Green Chickpeas

1. Preheat the oven at 325 f.
2. Wash the beans with in their shells, and just spread them out on a roasting pan in a single layer, with salt. Cook for about 55 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally to even up the browning.
3. Eat like edame, popping out of the shell into your mouth.