PISTACHIO MAAMOUL

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 9 cups semolina or 1500 g
• 1½ cups butter or 300 g, melted
• 1½ cups ghee or 300 g, melted
• 1 cup caster sugar or 200 g
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground mahlab
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• ¾ cup rose water or 190 ml
• ¼ cup blossom water or 60 ml
• For the filling:
• 3½ cups pistachio nuts or 500 g
• 1 tablespoon blossom water
• 2 tablespoons rose water
• 1 tin NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
• ½ cup caster sugar or 100 g

Preparation

• In a bowl, combine semolina, butter, ghee, sugar, nutmeg, mahlab, and yeast. Mix the ingredients well then cover and set aside for at least 4 hours.
• Pin an electric mixer, blend the pistachio until they are completely crushed. Remove and place in a bowl.
• Mix blossom water, rose water and NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk until all ingredients are well combined. Cover and place in fridge for 1 hour.
• Add rose water and blossom water to the dried mixture, knead by hands until the dough starts to hold together or forms a paste. If necessary, add a small amount of rose water.
• Remove a small piece of dough and flatten it with your hands and place a teaspoonful of the filling. Close carefully to form a ball.
• Press the stuffed dough into a wooden maamoul mold to form a pattern on the upper side of the dough.
• Tap out onto an cookie sheet that is not greased and bake in a 185c for 15-20 minutes or until lightly colored but not browned.