Eid Maamoul

Ingredients

• 3 kilos extra-fine premium zero flour
• 1 and a half kilos dairy cow ghee
• 1 kilo halabi pistachios
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• a pinch a pinch of habak
• as needed thick cold sugar syrup
• 1 heaped tablespoon animal ghee for the pistachio filling
• 1 kilo first-grade local walnuts
• a little water
• 1 kilo Jerusalem date paste
• a little cardamom
• a little cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons animal ghee for the date paste
• a light dusting flour for dusting the mold

Instructions

1. Place 3 kilos of extra-fine premium zero flour in a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the center of the flour.
2. Add 1 and a half kilos of dairy cow ghee to the mixing bowl with the flour.
3. Rub the ghee into the flour by hand in the mixing bowl until the mixture becomes like cream.
4. Transfer the dough mixture to a suitable bowl or tray and cover it well.
5. Keep the covered bowl of dough in the refrigerator for a full day or in the freezer for 1 hour.
6. Place 1 kilo of halabi pistachios in a grinder and grind them.
7. Transfer the ground pistachios to a mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
8. Add a pinch of habak to the pistachio filling bowl.
9. Drizzle the thick cold sugar syrup over the pistachio filling in the mixing bowl.
10. Rub the pistachio filling in the mixing bowl until it binds together.
11. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of animal ghee to the pistachio filling bowl and rub the filling with it.
12. Place 1 kilo of first-grade walnuts in a grinder or food processor, and prepare the walnut filling in the same way as the pistachio filling.
13. Sprinkle a little water over the pistachio filling and walnut filling in the mixing bowl so the filling does not stick to the hand.
14. Place 1 kilo of Jerusalem date paste in a mixing bowl.
15. Add a little cardamom and a little cinnamon to the date paste bowl.
16. Add 3 tablespoons of animal ghee to the date paste bowl.
17. Rub the date paste with the cardamom, cinnamon, and ghee in the mixing bowl until the filling is ready.
18. Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator or freezer and gently soften it by hand without fully kneading it.
19. Portion the date paste filling into balls, with each ball weighing approximately seven or eight.
20. Roll the date paste filling by hand into balls and arrange them on a work tray.
21. Take a piece of dough in your hand and flatten it by hand.
22. Place a ball of date paste filling inside the piece of dough, then press a finger into the dough and close the edges over the filling.
23. Quickly roll the date-filled maamoul piece by hand until it holds together.
24. Lightly dust the inside of the maamoul mold or the mold surface with flour.
25. Place the filled maamoul piece in the maamoul mold and press it into the mold with the palm of your hand.
26. Tap the maamoul mold to release the piece, then arrange it on the baking tray beside the other pieces.
27. Flatten a piece of dough by hand for the pistachio filling.
28. Place a ball of pistachio filling inside the piece of dough, then close the dough over the filling, even if a little pistachio shows through the dough.
29. Dust the maamoul mold with flour, then place the pistachio maamoul piece in the maamoul mold and press with the palm of your hand.
30. Tap the maamoul mold to release the pistachio maamoul piece, then arrange it on the baking tray.
31. Repeat the filling and shaping process in the maamoul mold with the walnut filling in the same way, then arrange the pieces on the baking tray.
32. Put the maamoul tray into the very hot oven.
33. Watch the maamoul tray in the oven without setting a fixed number of seconds.
34. Brown the top of the maamoul in the oven first, then brown the bottom of the maamoul in the oven.