Makroud
Recipe type: Dessert
Makroud is a Moroccan food recipe of date filled pastries.
Ingredients
- 3 cup semolina flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch baking soda
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
- ¼ to ½ cup warm water
- 2 cups dates, finely chopped dates
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- rind of 1 orange, grated
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup water
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine semolina, salt, and baking soda. Slowly stir in melted butter and mix well, using your hands if necessary. Test mixture’s texture by rolling a small amount into a ball. If the dough is crumbly, add another tsp or so of melted butter or vegetable oil.
- Place dough on a clean and floured counter top or other work surface. Sprinkle dough with 1tsp of the warm water and knead lightly until dough has a soft, smooth, and slightly stretchy texture. Add extra water if dough feels dry and does not hold together. Return dough to bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and set aside for 15 minutes.
- While dough is resting, make filling. In the bowl of a food processor, place dates, cinnamon, and orange rind. Pulse a few seconds to mix, add oil, and pulse until mixture is like paste. Set aside.
- On a clean and floured counter top or other work surface, divide dough in half. Form one half into a loaf about 3 inches wide. Use your fingertips or the back of a spoon to press a deep groove along the loaf’s center. Fill the groove with about half of the date filling. Fold sides of loaf over filling, pinching to seal and smoothing the seam with your fingers. Cut loaf at a diagonal into slices about 1inch wide. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- In a small saucepan, combine honey and water. Stir well and leave to warm over very low heat.
- Meanwhile, pour vegetable oil about in a skillet or saucepan. Drop in pastry slices a few at a time and fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Set aside to drain on paper towels.
- Dip makroud in warm honey syrup and place on a serving platter.
