During
Easter holidays (as well as Muslim holidays), households embark upon the
preparation of delicacies. These range from date cookies to loaves of sweet
bread, and not to be excluded of course, are the small cakes called ma’moul
bi joaz (with walnuts) or ma’moul bi fustoq (with pistachios). Families
and neighbors gather around an all encompasing table and hands are put
to work. Sometimes even men sit amidst the busy womenfolk and become part
of the assembly line! Pleasant talk, anecdotes furle around the table but
the amusing comments range from directives to well-meant criticism of one
another’s work: is the ma’moul too big? Are the decorations dainty and
artistic or unattractive and crude looking? In the midst of all this would
be the matronly figure of mother or grandmother administering quality control
standards as to excactly how ma’moul should look and taste. I prefer them
tiny and mouthful size. I also strongly encourage the use of orrange blossom
(essence) water (ma-zaher). Check for the wooden mold (press) used to decorate
the walnut cakes and the wide metal tweezers used for decorations.
Ingredients:
- 7 cups simolina (smeed)
- 500 g melted butter
- 1 2/3 cups orrange blossom essence water (ma’-zaher)
- pinch baking powder
- Filling: 2 ½ cups finely ground walnuts or pistachios
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon (only if using walnuts)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (if desired)
- powder sugar for garnish
Place the simolina in a large bowl, add butter and
mix, rubbing well between the hands. Cover and set aside for 2 hours or
over-night. Combine the filling ingredients and set aside. Add the blossom
water to the simolina and mix well into the dough; rest for 15 minutes.
Pinch off a piece the size of a walnut, round it up a bit by rolling it
between your hands. Holding it in the palm of one hand, insert the forefinger
of your other hand to form as large a cavity as possible. Fill with a small
spoonful of filling and seal. Place on a table with the sealed portion
down and work with your fingers to give it an upright shape, like a sitting
egg. Decorate with the tines of a fork and transfer to an ungreased baking
pan, placing the cakes very close to one another- they should be touching
for support when baking. Ma’moul may also be pressed into a the wooden
mold which gives it the size of the mold or decorated with the metal tweezers.
Bake in a 160C oven for 30 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden. Broil
tops very lightly. Cool completely, store in an airtight container. Sift
with powder sugar before serving. Ma’moul will keep for weeks and freezes
exceptionally well. Makes 45-50 cakes.