406 – Makrout (Semolina and Date Cookie) / مقروط بالسميدة و التمر

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cups (250g) fine or medium semolina
• 1/3 cup (70g) softened butter
• 2 tablespoon orange flower water (use as needed)
• A pinch of saffron threads
• 9 oz. (250 g) date paste 
• A pinch of ground Cubeb (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if not already in your date paste)
• Honey

Directions :

Step 1: Making the dough
1 – First, dilute the saffron threads in the orange blossom water so they release their entire flavor
2 – Place the semolina in a large plate and using the tips of your fingers, mix it with the softened butter until each grain of semolina is well coated
3- Add a little bit of the saffron-orange blossom water to the semolina and mix well until you get a soft dough
4 – Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour

Step 2: Making the date filling
1 – Our secret ingredient is the Cubeb spice – here is cubeb whole to see how it looks like, but we are using it ground. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, just omit it
2 – Add a pinch of the ground Cubeb to the date paste and mix. 
3 – You can also add some ground cinnamon; I already added it when preparing my homemade date paste.
4 – The filling is ready! Divide the date paste into 2 portions.
Oil your hands and roll each portion into a log about the thickness of your finger

Step 3: Shaping the Makrout
1 – Take half of the dough, and shape it into a log as long as the date paste log.
2 – Flatten the dough and insert the date paste log in the center
3 – Pinch the dough around the date paste, then roll the entire log a few times on your workstation to seal it completely
4 – Slice the log with diagonal cuts into bite size chunks
5 – Use the tip of the knife to mark the top of each makrout

Step 4: Baking the makrout
1 – Transfer the makrout on an oiled baking pan
2 – Bake in a preheated oven to 360 F / 180 C for 30-40 minutes or until the makrout have a beautiful deep golden brown colors
3 – As soon as your remove the makrout from the oven, drizzle some honey on top when they are still hot
4 – Let the makrout cool down for several hours before serving them