Makrouta

I would love to introduce you guys to Makuta, a delicious date filled cookie known for its aromatic anise flavor and delicious sesame topping. This cookie is very similar to Ma’amoul which is a very popular Middle Eastern date filled cookie often served around Eid for Muslims. While Ma’amoul is more delicate and intricate to make, Makrouta is sturdier, less sweet, and easier to produce. It makes for a mouthwatering treat with a warm cup of tea or coffee. I will be sharing with you a recipe that my mom once shared with me for these beautiful and flavorful Makrouta cookies using some of the best products from Ziyad Brand. I kid you not; their baking date paste is the best around and is highly recommended among their other food products too. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Tag @fufuinthekitchen and @ziyadbrand with your creations when you bake these beauties! We would love to see!

Servings: 40 cookies

Total Time: approx. 1 hour

Dough Ingredients

3 cups of All Purpose Flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. Nido Milk powder

1 tsp Ziyad Brand Ground Mahlab

2 tbsp. Ground Anise

2 tbsp. Ziyad Brand Anise Seeds

1 1/2 cups of semi-melted Crisco butter

1/2-3/4 cup of water

Filling Ingredients

1-13oz Ziyad Brand Baking Date Paste

1 tsp Wild Garden Ghee or butter

1 tsp Ziyad Brand Ground Cinnamon

1 tbsp. Ziyad Brand Anise Seeds

Topping Ingredients

1 cup of Ziyad Brand Sesame Seeds

2 tbsp. simple syrup or melted Ziyad Brand honey

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together all the dough ingredients other than the water. You can do this on a KitchenAid using the paddle attachment or with your hands. Slowly, add in the water until the dough is easy to work with. Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap to avoid drying out.

In another bowl, mix together the filling ingredients. Set aside.

In a shallow pan, mix together the topping ingredients. Set aside.

Roll the dough out on a clean surface covered with plastic wrap to prevent dough from sticking. Make sure to add flour to the rolling pin to avoid sticking too. Roll out dough to about 1 inch thick into a rectangular shape.

Roll some of the date paste into a log (not too thin or thick).

Lay this date paste log closest to you on the dough. Roll the dough over the date paste tightly into a log then use a pizza cutter to cut off the excess dough.

Keep repeating with the dough making logs. Using the same pizza cutter, make diagonal cuts to the stuffed log to make your cookies. Then dip the cookie into the topping and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake in a 375 F oven for 15-20 minutes then broil for 1-2 minutes for a nice brown color on top.

Serve room temperature. Store these in an airtight container on room temperature for about a month. These can also be frozen and thawed out before serving too.