Cheese Maamoul

Cheese Maamoul! Maamoul, in the Middle East, has long been connected with Eid el Fitr, Chrismas and Easter holidays; you’ve probably had or heard of a date or nut maamoul, right? But have you ever tried cheese maamoul? I am guessing most of, you have never associated cheese with maamoul, but cheese maamoul are a wildly popular treat at the Syrian coastal region around Latakia/ Ladhiqiyyah/ اللاذقية. They are delicate in flavor, firm with an oozy cheesy not too sweet interior — sifted with powdered sugar and most often topped with chopped pistachios and flourished with orange blossom petals jam! It’s to be enjoyed warm.  Sink your spoon into the gooey cheesy molten center and take your taste buds on a delightful journey.

Cheese maamoul are deeply satisfying! When I was growing up in Beirut, Eid el fitr inevitably included date and nut maamoul made by my mother and the other women in the family; the legacy continued after I married and had a kitchen for myself, no Eid was complete without baking a huge batch of mammaoul shared with guests and friends celebrating together the vibes and joys of Eid; but this year, our festivity is going to be a bit different. You’ve probably had a date or nut maamoul, right? But have you ever tried cheese maamoul?  If not, now’s your chance! Cheese in maamoul, on its own, is reason to celebrate.

Cheese maamoul keeps all the delicious orange blossom and mahlab flavors but uses them in a cheese filling! The smell coming out of the oven when you bake them is heavenly. But the charm need not be limited to Eid. They can be equally enjoyed year-round, at Christmas, Easter or other celebrations. The next time you’re looking for a sweet end to a Middle Eastern-inspired meal, try this cheese maamoul recipe, they are fabulous!

Cheese Maamoul are great cookies to freeze!

You don’t have to bake the entire batch. The fact that the cheese maamoul freeze well in their raw stage are such a life saver when you have an unexpected guest or when you crave sweets and need a comfort food fix but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. To freeze: Place them on a sheet pan and cover individually with plastic wrap freeze until solid. Bake them directly from freezer to oven at 400 degrees for12 to  15 minutes to a golden color. A great make ahead dessert.

Tips and Tricks!

• No doubt that the secret to flavorful maamoul is flavorful ghee. Use the best-quality ghee you can find.
• The cheese has to be totally dry before stuffing the maamoul, otherwise your dough will crack while baking.
•  Opt for cheeses that have good melting properties such as Tchiki Akkawi or mozzarella, If you are using Tchiki Akkawi cheese then it needs to be desalted since it is loaded with salt for preservation. Cut the cheese into squares, cover with water and soak it for 8 hours, changing the water every 1 hour to reduce its saltiness. Skip this step if you are using mozzarella!
• If you are using Mozzarella, avoid using pre-packaged shredded cheese as it often contains additives that can prevent proper melting
• Melt the ghee and add it, while it is still warm, to the fine semolina to help increase fat absorption and to soften the semolina grains. Cover and set aside for a minimum of four hours and a maximum of an overnight before adding the rest of ingredients.
• Freeze for a minimum of one hour after stuffing and shaping. This step is crucial to avoid cheese leakage while baking.
• Semolina, orange blossom water and mahleb powder are available at Middle Eastern specialty markets.
• The recipe doubles and triples easily.
• it’s all about the molding — and sealing, because you don’t want fillings leaking out while baking!
• Don’t ruin your efforts by transferring the cheese maamoul from oven to the serving plate directly, it is a crumbly dough, so leave it firm up for 5 minutes before serving!

Heat the ghee gently over low to medium heat until it melts completely. while still warm add it to the to the fine semolina to soften the semolina grains.

Stir to homogenize and cover and set aside for a minimum of four hours and a maximum of an overnight before adding the rest of ingredients.

Four hours or more, you will notice that the semolina grains have softened and absorbed the fat content.

Add the flour, powdered sugar, mahlab and powdered milk. Use your fingertips to rub the mixture until the whole mix resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the orange blossom water, then add the milk in a gradual manner stir with your hands to homogenize. Start to mix gently the dough to bring it altogether to a cohesive ball. Cover and let it rest for 30 more minutes.

Meanwhile shred the cheese: Use a cheese that has good melting properties such as Tchiki Akkawi or mozzarella; if you are using Tchiki Akkawi cheese then it needs to be desalted since it is loaded with salt for preservation.  Shred the cheese, cover with water and soak it for 8 hours, changing the water every 1 hour to reduce its saltiness. If you are using mozzarella, shred the cheese and skip the soaking process! Soak up the moisture in cheese with paper towels: Put your shredded cheese on top of kitchen paper towels. Place additional kitchen towels on top of the cheese. Use gentle pressure to press the moisture out of the mozzarella. Repeat until you have removed the desired amount of moisture. The cheese has to be totally dry before stuffing the maamoul, otherwise your dough will crack while baking.

Divide the dough to 14 equal balls, take one dough at a time. Use your hand to flatten the dough ball to about 1/2-inch thick Press your thumb into the ball to create space for the filling. Work the edges with your fingers so the sides are even. Stuff with a tablespoon of shredded cheese.

Pinch dough over it to seal. it’s all about the molding — and sealing, because you don’t want fillings leaking out while baking! Wrap a cup or a deep ramekin with clingfilm, covering the bottom and sides and extending all the way to the top. Put the cheese filled dough, pressing it lightly in to level it up. Or alternatively, place the raw filled cheese rounds in a jumbo deep muffin pan(no need to wrap with clingfilm, so you can create big cheese maamoul, by that you will freeze and bake directly in  the muffin pan!

Freeze the raw maamoul for 1 hour prior to baking, this is a crucial step! Remove the clingfilm and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven, until edges and bottoms are golden but tops are still mostly pale, about 12 minutes.

Bake until the bottoms are golden, but the tops remain a bit pale, about 10 to12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and sift with powdered sugar over the top immediately, decorate with chopped raw shelled pistachios and orange blossom petals jam (if used) and serve warm.

Looking for more festive sweets?

•  Ghraybeh
• Date Maamoul
• Pistachio Maamoul
• Tamara Ghraybeh
• Saniora
• Maamoul Mad Bil Tamer
• Farida’s Date Ring Kaak
• Lebanese Coconut Cookies
• Almond Paste Stuffed Cookies

This dessert is special enough to serve it for a dinner party or holiday feast, but also comes together fast enough to make it suitable for a weeknight dessert! The recipe is a cinch to make, as long as you plan ahead.

• Author: Hadia Zebib Khanafer
• Cook: 12/15 minutes
• Makes: 14 large pieces
• Cuisine: Syrian and Middle Eastern

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine semolina, farina
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ghee, use the best-quality ghee you can find
• 8 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon mahlab
• 2 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 1/2 cup milk

300 grams/ 10.5 Desalted Akkawi cheese or Mozzarella

For garnish:

• A handful of chopped pistachios
• Orange blossom petal jams

Directions:

1. Heat the ghee gently over low to medium heat until it melts completely. while still warm add it to the to the fine semolina to soften the semolina grains. Stir to homogenize and cover and set aside for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of an overnight before adding the rest of ingredients.
2. Four hours or more, you will notice that the semolina grains have softened and absorbed the fat content. Add the flour, powdered sugar, mahlab and powdered milk. Use your fingertips to rub the mixture until the whole mix resembles breadcrumbs; add the orange blossom water, then add the milk in a gradual manner stir with your hands to homogenize. Start to mix gently the dough to bring it altogether to a cohesive ball. Cover and let it rest for 30 more minutes.
3. Meanwhile shred the cheese: Use a cheese that has good melting properties such as Tchiki Akkawi or mozzarella, If you are using Tchiki Akkawi cheese then it needs to be desalted since it is loaded with salt for preservation.  Shred the cheese, cover with water and soak it for 8 hours, changing the water every 1 hour to reduce its saltiness.  if you are using mozzarella, shred the cheese and skip the soaking process!
4.  Soak up the moisture in cheese with paper towels: Put your shredded cheese on top of kitchen paper towels. Place additional kitchen towels on top of the cheese. Use gentle pressure to press the moisture out of the mozzarella. Repeat until you have removed the desired amount of moisture.The cheese has to be totally dry before stuffing the maamoul, otherwise your dough will crack while baking.
5. Preheat oven to 400° F/ 200 ° C.
6. Divide the dough to 14 equal balls, take one dough at a time. Use your hand to flatten the dough ball to about 1/2-inch thick Press your thumb into the ball to create space for the filling. Work the edges with your fingers so the sides are even. Stuff with a tablespoon of shredded cheese and pinch dough over it to seal. it’s all about the molding — and sealing, because you don’t want fillings leaking out while baking! Pinch dough over it to seal. it’s all about the molding — and sealing, because you don’t want fillings leaking out while baking! Wrap a cup or a deep ramekin with clingfilm, covering the bottom and sides and extending all the way to the top. Put the cheese filled dough, pressing it lightly in to level it up. Or alternatively, place the raw filled cheese rounds in a jumbo deep muffin pan(no need to wrap with clingfilm, , so you can create big cheese maamoul, by that you will freeze and bake directly in  the muffin pan!
7. Freeze the raw maamoul for 1 hour prior to baking, this is a crucial step!
8. Bake until the bottoms are golden, but the tops remain a bit pale, about 10 to12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and sift with powdered sugar over the top immediately, decorate with chopped raw shelled pistachios and orange blossom petals jam (if used) and serve warm. Fantastic!
9. The cheese maamoul can be prepared and frozen in their raw stage. Place them on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, then individually cover with plastic wrap. Bake them directly from freezer to oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes to a golden color. A great make ahead dessert

Note: You have two options to shape and bake the cheese maamoul! Both work well, in option one the maamoul spread a bit while baking, option 2 would yield more uniform maamoul.

Option 1: Wrap a cup or a deep ramekin with clingfilm, covering the bottom and sides and extending all the way to the top. Put the raw cheese filled dough, pressing it lightly in to level it up. Freeze until the maamoul pieces solidify. Remove the clingfilm, transfer to a baking sheet and bake as mentioned.


Option 2: Grease a jumbo muffin tin all over (I like to brush melted ghee all over with a pastry brush), and place each raw filled cheese round in a muffin cup and press lightly to level up (no need to wrap with clingfilm) by that you will freeze and bake directly in  the muffin pan!

If you make the ” Cheese Maamoul “, leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine