Ma'amoul ( maʿmūl ) is a filled butter cookie made with semolina flour. It is popular throughout the Arab world. The filling can be made with dried fruits like figs, dates, or nuts such as pistachios or walnuts, and occasionally almonds. Ma'amoul is usually made during the holidays of Easter, and a few days before Eid (then stored to be served with Arabic coffee and chocolate to guests who come during the holiday). It is popular throughout the Arab world, especially in the Arabian Peninsula. They may be in the shape of balls, domed or flattened cookies. They can either be decorated by hand or be made in special wooden moulds called tabe.

Variations

The cookies can be filled with nuts (commonly used nuts are pistachios, almonds or walnuts) or dried fruits, most commonly orange-scented date paste. In Turkey, maamouls are referred to as Kombe and the filling usually consists of crushed walnuts, ginger and cinnamon.

Etymology

The Arabic word (معمول maʿmūl ) is derived from the Arabic verb ʿamala (عمل, meaning "to do").

Customs

While ma'amoul are consumed all-year long, they are most associated with Eid Al-Fitr or iftar as meals in celebration for the ending of Ramadan's fasting. For Christian Arabs as well, ma'amoul is also part of the Easter celebrations. Ma'amoul was traditionally served by the Sephardic Jewish community of Jerusalem during Purim. It was described as the "Sephardic Hamantash".