Marmoul (Date Cookies)

Nuwall Obeid taught me this when I first arrived in the States. She still makes the best marmoul I’ve ever tasted, but I’ll keep trying!

For the Filling

 Ingredients

2 x 1 lb 5 oz. chunk of dates
4 tablespoons margarine
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Buy two 1lb 5 oz. chunk of dates rather than the layered kind. The chunk is less expensive and just as good for cooking.
Grind dates through fine grinder of a meat grinder.
Place ground dates in a saucepan and add 4 tablespoons margarine and 4 tablespoons water. Heat over low fire, stirring the margarine well into the ground dates. Heat till mixture begins to gently bubble. Remove from heat and add 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

For the Pastry

Ingredients

2 tubs Land O Lakes Unsalted Whipped Butter
5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 Eggs

Directions

Stand 2 tubs Land O Lakes unsalted whipped butter at room temperature. 
Place butter in bowl and add 5 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs and mix well with hands to form a ball.

 
To Make Cookies

Preheat oven at 300 degrees F.
Take a walnut chunk of dough,
roll into a ball and then flatten
in the palm of your hand. (It

Walnut size dough rolled into a ball

should be no bigger than the
palm of your hand)
Place a heaping spoonful of
the date mixture on the dough,
fold dough over and completely
Seal the date mixture inside.

Flatten in the palm of your hand

Place a spoonful of date mixture on dough round

Place in wooden mold

Flatten and press into the mold

Remember to dust the mold with flour first, then bang hard on a wooden board and you have perfect marmoul!

Instead of a wooden mold, you can use a plastic mold instead.