Silk-Filled Maamoul Cookies to Sweeten Your Eid al-Adha

Ma’amoul cookies are a cherished Middle Eastern tradition that has been passed down through generations. These are shortbread cookies, which have dotted decorative motifs, coming in different shapes, with a sweet date paste or chopped nuts like pistachios and walnuts. They are a symbol of hospitality and celebration during significant religious holidays of mostly Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in Islamic countries and communities.These are a must try if you love baking and are looking to try traditional treats this Eid.

The origins of ma’amoul trace back to ancient Egypt, where they were known as "kahk" and were sighted in temple paintings and carvings, dating to the Pharaonic era. Over time, this beloved pastry spread across the Levant, gaining popularity in countries like Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. So, this Eid al-Adha, try something traditional yet a little different – Silk-filled Arabic maamoul cookies. While traditional ma’amoul fillings are typically made with dates or nuts, this recipe offers something new by incorporating Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk chocolate in its filling, making it an irresistible treat for both young and old alike.

Silk-filled Arabic Maamoul Cookies

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Dough:

• 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
• 1/4 tsp cardamom, optional
• 1 tsp orange blossom water, vanilla extract, or elderflower syrup
• 3-4 tbs water

For the Filling:

• 1 cup Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2-3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. To a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Mix and set aside.
3. Add the butter to a bowl and set up your hand mixer or add it to the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until it is creamy and spreadable.
4. To this butter bowl, add ½ cup of the flour mixture. Mix, add more, until all used up.
5. Add the orange blossom water, vanilla extract, or elderflower syrup to it and mix until just incorporated.
6. Then add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft, nonsticky ball.
7. Halve the freshly made dough, then quarter and keep dividing until you have 24 small uniform dough balls. Set aside for now.
8. Add the Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk Chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl. Take a smaller saucepan and add around 1 inch of water. Bring to a simmer and put the larger bowl on top.
9. Once the chocolate starts melting, add the condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. Make sure to keep stirring once in a while. Once smooth, remove from the heat and let it cool.
10. Flatten each dough ball into a small pancake.
11. Once the chocolate has somewhat cooled, thickened but still pourable, scoop up 1 teaspoon of the filling and generously dot the center of one flattened dough ball.
12. Pull the edges of the dough towards the filling and carefully seal with your fingers.
13. Press down the cookie on the lined baking sheet with a bang from the bottom of a bowl.
14. To make it look close to the traditional maamoul cookies, drag a fork over the top of the cookie to create a pattern carefully to avoid the filling from leaking out. Repeat for the rest.
15. Maamoul cookies come in different shapes, so in case you are going for hand-molded crescents, add 1 generous teaspoon of the filling in a 1-inch line in the centre of each dough pancake.
16. Pull the edges up and seal the dough to make a kind of half-moon shape.
17. Then bend this semicircle into a crescent shape.
18. Arrange all the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 22-24 minutes, until golden brown. Check around the 15-minute mark for signs of browning to avoid burning the cookies.
19. Remove from the oven once done and transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool.
20. Once cool, dust with icing sugar, using a fine-mesh sieve. Serve fresh to guests or gift them!