Semolina Ghee Balls Recipes

SEMOLINA GHEE BALLS

Steps:

• Over a medium fire, heat a wok or a large pan. Toast semolina (without adding oil),until it is lightly brown and set a side.
• Heat a pan over a medium fire, fry cashews (and raisins - optional) until golden brown and set aside. P.S. Use ghee to fry them (enhances taste)
• Heat a pan over a slow fire, warm the ghee until it melts and set aside.
• Pound together crushed cardamoms and dry ginger.
• Add powdered sugar, pounded cardamoms and dry ginger, cashews (and raisins) into semolina and mix well.
• Now pour warm melted ghee over the mixture and start to mold the mixture into small / medium sized balls (according to your preference). P.S. when the ghee starts to cool off, re-heat it.

MA'AMOUL

Steps:

• For the dough: Put the semolina, flour, granulated sugar and baking powder in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. (It's important not to use your hands to make the dough because the natural heat of your hands will make the dough release oil, resulting in dry dough.) Mix in the ghee. The mixture will feel and look like crumbs. Add the milk slowly (2 tablespoons at a time) and mix to combine until you have a soft dough that you can make into small balls. It's best to add the milk slowly so the dough doesn't come together before all the milk is added.
• For the date filling: Put the baking dates, ghee, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium bowl and mix with a spoon until the ghee and spices are combined well with the dates. Rub some ghee or vegetable oil on your palms to avoid sticking and shape the date filling into 40 to 45 small balls for a small ma'amoul mold. If using a larger mold, shape the balls accordingly.
• Preheat the oven 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the semolina dough into 40 to 45 balls as well.
• Flatten a semolina dough ball and place a date ball in the middle of it. Bring the dough together to cover the date ball and roll in your hands to smooth the cracks. Place the ball in the ma'amoul mold and gently press it so the pattern prints on it. Bang the mold against a cutting board to release the cookie and place it smooth-side down on the prepared baking sheet. If you don't own a mold, simply flatten the stuffed dough ball into a 1/2-inch-thick disk and make a simple pattern by pressing a fork gently on the dough to make a crisscross. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. You can place the cookies quite close to each other since they won't spread.
• Bake until the cookies are slightly golden brown around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool completely, then dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.