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Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma’amoul)

October 22, 2014 by TheWhiteRamekins

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

It’s the time of year when the hearts are filled with love and joy. Diwali brings a lot of happiness along with it. It is when you get along with all your loved ones, your family and friends. Lighting diyas on Diwali has a warm feeling attached to it. It just symbolizes hope for me. In these times of distrust and sorrows of a mean world outside, a small lighting diya or candle uplifts your spirit and makes you believe in yourself. This being an auspicious time, I don’t want to drag about the serious subject. Because I believe the hope this beautiful festival brings is eternal.

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

I so love this time of year. Everything is amazingly beautiful and festive. The food, the people and the surroundings. You just happen to love everything about Diwali. You get to eat a lot of sweets and dry fruits and a plenty of rich Indian food, eventually making your tummy happy as well. Every year, I think of planning and starting in advance. But I fall prey to the rush of the last moment. Like every other time,  this year I had thought of making Baklava from scratch for Diwali, which I obviously couldn’t make due to some last minute thoughts. And I didn’t have enough time to roll the thin layers of phyllo from scratch and I didn’t want to buy it from market either.

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

Like every other Indian family, Diwali also means consumption of lot of dry fruits for us as well. Now, when I couldn’t make Baklava, I thought of making these dry fruits and nut filled eggless cookies called Ma’amoul from one of my favorite cookbooks author Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem. Oh! I so loved these cookies! They are buttery, rich, filled with mixture of dry fruits and very gently sweet. One bite of these and you’ll too sure fall in love.

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

Traditionally, these are made with filling of dates. But, I filled these kind of shortbread cookies with a medley of nuts and dates. Walnuts, cashews, pistachios, dates, orange rind and a generous handful of rose petals adorn the inside of these cookies. Lovely, rich and fragrant flavors! A true epitome of this festive season! 

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul) 

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)
2014-10-21 19:34:30
Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)
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For the cookies
  1. 350 gm semolina
  2. 40 gm plain flour
  3. 40 gm caster sugar
  4. pinch of salt
  5. 150 gm unsalted butter, cut into cuber
  6. 2 tbsp orange juice
  7. 1 tsp rose water
For the nuts filling
  1. 50 gm walnuts
  2. 50 gm pistachios
  3. 100 gm cashews
  4. 45 gm dates, roughly chopped
  5. 1/4 cup edible dry rose petals
  6. 1 tsp vanilla powder
  7. 1 tbsp orange juice
  8. 1 tbsp orange rind
Instructions
  1. Put the flour, semolina, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir together. Add the butter and work with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  2. Add the water and rose water and mix to make into a ball. Knead the dough to make it completely smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
  3. To make nuts filling, place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse quickly to until you get a uniform coarse paste.
  4. Preheat the oven to 190 degree C. Line two baking sheets and keep aside.
  5. To mould the cookies, remove walnut sized pieces of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten each ball in the cup of your hands and lift the edges to shape it like a little pot.
  6. Fill the pastry with heaped tablespoon of the filling. Pinch the edges over the filling so that the pastry pot is sealed and then roll into a ball again. Flatten the ball between the palms of your hands and then place on the baking sheet. Repeat the process of moulding the cookies, until all the dough and the filling is used. You may wish to give it a design by gently pressing the top of the cookies with a fork twines or using a cookies design plunger.
  7. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until cookies are very lightly golden on the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
By Himanshu Taneja
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
The White Ramekins https://thewhiteramekins.com/
 Happy Diwali! May this festival brings harmony and peace in our lives!

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

Filed Under: cookies Tagged With: baking, cookies, Diwali, dry fruits, eggless, festive, food, India, maamoul, nuts

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart

September 27, 2013 by TheWhiteRamekins

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart

Tomatoes and basil together is a classic pair. You just can’t think of tomatoes without fresh basil leaves. And add some wonderful goat cheese to them, it ties up the knot between the two so well that just one slice of this buttery tart loaded with so much of goodness and gorgeousness can ride you straight through heaven.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 2

I often make tomatoes and basil sauce for my pasta and pizza at home. The passata simmering slowly in huge pot with fresh basil leaves, can’t just be replaced by some bottled stuff. The vibrantly red sauce gives the pasta a whole new identity. And I love serving that to my friends quite often too. It’s kinda quick fix for a dinner party at my home.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 3

I used to buy a lot of fresh basil leaves from market, until very recently, when I brought home two pots with tiny basil plants. I saw them flourishing day by day, bearing loads and loads of happy green leaves. Seeing them growing so quick, just makes me happy. I would make a lot of pasta sauce and then I would whiz some leaves into beautiful pesto.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 5

A basil pesto and tomato sandwich is my favorite weekday breakfast. A humble yet generous slather of green summary basil pesto on a slice of wheat bread with freshly sliced tomatoes, has become my favorite breakfast besides granola and fruits. I wouldn’t mind slipping some into my lunch box to be enjoyed in evening, as I have been staying pretty late at work these days. A bite just freshens up my mood.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 6

I know, Italians would scoff me at, hearing that I substitute pine nuts with almonds in my pesto. But truly speaking, almonds are a great addition too. Plus they are budget friendly too, as compared to pine nuts. So that way, I can make basil pesto frequently, and save the pine nuts for some other day.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 3

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 1

Okay, so now speaking about the tart, it’s a wonderful, light summery tart recipe, which you would love baking for a Sunday bunch and serve it alongside some fresh greens. It sounds simpler than it’s mouthful name. If you made your tart dough and basil pesto beforehand, you are all sorted.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 8

And did I mention, that it’s a vegetarian’s delight. Yup, it doesn’t even require any eggs to be added. So you could treat a larger group and I am sure non-vegetarians wouldn’t miss the meat.

Tomato Goat Cheese & Basil Pesto Tart 7

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup almonds
2 cloves garlic, chopped in halves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Place almonds in food processor and whiz them until coarsely processed. Add remaining ingredients and process until all the ingredients are well combined. Store in a glass jar.

Tomato Tart

Ingredients

Tart Crust:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
85 gm butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chilled water

Filling:

3/4 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup ricotta, drained
2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup basil pesto {recipe above}
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt to sprinkle
cracked pepper
handful fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. For the crust, pulse both flours, cornmeal and salt in a food processor. Add chopped butter and pulse 15-20 times, to make fine crumb.
  2. Add the water and pulse for another 10 times to bring the crumbs together.
  3. Place the dough between two large sheets of cling wrap to form a round disc. Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle. Peel one side of cling wrap and invert the rolled pastry loosely onto a 9 inch tart pan. Using your finger tips, gently snug the pastry into the tart pan, peel the other cling wrap. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes in a 190 degree C oven.
  4. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until tart becomes golden. Let it cool completely.
  5. For the filling, mix goat cheese, ricotta, cracked pepper in a bowl and set aside.
  6. Spread a thin layer of the pesto over the entire base of cooled tart. Spread the goat cheese and ricotta mixture over it.
  7. Top with cherry tomatoes with halved sides facing upwards, Sprinkle torn basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt over it. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 190 degree C oven.
  8. Serve warm with some more fresh basil leaves sprinkled over.

Filed Under: Pastry, Savory Tagged With: basil pesto, food, healthy, nuts, Savory, summer, tart, tomato tart, vegetarian

Hi! I'm Himanshu - a home chef who loves to cook, bake, style and photo shoot... Read More…

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