Ma'amoul date biscuits
Buttery, crumbly semolina biscuits filled with sticky date and scented with orange blossom. Made for Eid and Easter, loved all year.
- Time1 hr 45
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.27 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Mix the semolina, flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture feels like damp sand. Cover and leave for 1 hour, so the semolina can soak up the butter.
60 min - 2
Make the filling. Put the dates, 1 tbsp butter and cinnamon in a small pan over a low heat and mash for 3 to 4 minutes, until you have a soft paste. Stir in 1 tsp orange blossom water, then leave to cool.
- 3
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- 4
Add 1 tsp orange blossom water and the milk to the dough and knead gently for 1 minute, just until it holds together. Roll the date paste into 12 balls the size of a walnut.
- 5
Take a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball, press a hollow into it with your thumb and put a date ball inside. Pinch the dough closed over it, roll into a smooth ball and press down lightly. Mark the top with a fork. Repeat with the rest.
- 6
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until set and just pale gold. They will still feel soft but firm up as they cool.
19 min - 7
Leave on the tray for 10 minutes, then move to a rack. Dust with icing sugar when cold.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.