After graduation the holidays kept me very busy. I spent a lot of time with my family- shoppping, wrapping presents, cooking, and baking. I also got to spend some time with Peter’s family in Iowa. The weekend after I graduated we drove up to Cedar Rapids and while we were there Peter’s mom Patty taught me how to make her Grandma Coury’s Mahmool cookies.
Mahmool are Lebanese filled cookies that have three traditional fillings including walnut, pistachio and date. Each is formed in a specific designed wooden mold, the design on the cookie lets you know what the filling is inside. Our particular cookies were made with a walnut filling and shaped into round and oval shapes.
These cookies are made quite easily with the use of a electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and a food processor. Other than that, the only ingredient that may not be so easy to find in your local grocery store is the rosewater. Luckily for those of you living in Chicago, Fox & Obel carries it in their baking section.
The cookies are some of the best that I’ve eaten, they have a great texture and they aren’t too sweet and have a hint of rose. Plus, they are very pretty with their intricate designs and light dusting of powdered sugar. These cookies are not just for the holidays, they are definitely a year round treat! Thanks Patty for teaching me this family recipe!
Grandma Coury’s Mahmool
Ingredients
1 2lb box regular Cream of Wheat
1 lb. Margarine (or butter)
3-3.5 c. flour
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. rosewater
3/4- 1 c. milk
Filling
1 lb. walnuts
1 c. granulated sugar
1 T. rosewater
Blend cream of wheat & margarine (or butter) in electric mixer using paddle attachment. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, rosewater, & milk. Add more flour if too wet or more milk of dough is too dry.
To make the filling blend walnuts, sugar, and rosewater in food processor until you have a coarse mixture.
Form mixture into a ball and then using thumb hollow out center to create a cup. Fill with nut mixture (about 1T per cookie). Pinch sides together to close.
Flour wooden mold. Place cookie in mold and press to get the design impression. Tap mold to remove cookie. Continue procedure with rest of cookies.
Bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 400 degrees for 15 min. Bake until “toasted almond” shade. Sprinkle with powdered sugar with still warm on cooling rack.
My mom had stayed up late the night before baking a ton of breakfast pastries including three kinds of muffins (blueberry, lemon poppy seed, and banana chocolate chip) and I contributed croissants and tarts that I had made in the bakery.
To top everything off, my mom baked me my favorite- carrot cake! I am so thankful for everything my family, friends, and boyfriend did for me for my birthday weekend, they made me so happy!
