Gluten-Free Maamoul – Lebanese Easter Pastries

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Gluten Free Maamoul, Quirky Cooking
Gluten-free Maamoul

by Fouad Kassab

As Easter approaches, one great way for me to connect with my memories of growing up in Lebanon is to make our traditional Easter sweets, maamoul. I remember being in the living room as a child, with my mum and four or five of her friends, making huge quantities of this delicious shortbread. This community of women would get together to collaborate on this mammoth project, entertain each other through hours of baking, and to supply their individual households with kilos and kilos of this highly sought-after delicacy. The ladies would have each prepared their pastry and fillings the night before at home. This is the easy part: the pastry is semolina kneaded with butter and scented with rosewater, and, sometimes orange blossom water. The fillings could be dates mixed with butter, or a variety of nuts – pistachios, almonds or walnuts – mixed with sugar and rosewater. The labour-intensive part is making the individual pastries. Though not particularly back breaking work, filling the pastry with dates or nuts, placing them in the specially designed maamoul moulds (different designs for different fillings) and then knocking the mould on a wooden board and filling up over a hundred trays requires patience and company.

We had a round, flat portable oven that we used especially for these occasions and though the smell of freshly baked maamoul would be intoxicatingly beautiful and almost impossible to resist, we would have to wait until Easter day before we got a chance to try any. Lent is a period of contemplation and prayer, and sweet delights such as maamoul were not to be consumed. Can you imagine how much discipline and parental pressure it took for us kids to not steal some when the parents weren’t looking?

Gluten-free/grain-free maamoul tray

I miss these communal gatherings I experienced as a child. The coming together of neighbours and friends to keep each other entertained and motivated is a beautiful thing to take part of, and life in Australia seems too busy for such an event to occur. And since I quit eating gluten, I also miss maamoul. This year, however, I took it upon myself to make the impossible possible. The challenge was, could I create a gluten-free maamoul that was as good as the real deal? Inspired by my macadamia and currant shortbreads which I included in our cookbook, Life-Changing Food, I have created this recipe for gluten-free/grain-free maamoul. The result, I promise you, is as good if not better than the originals. And if you don’t believe me, bake a batch and see for yourself. The only thing is, do you have the self-control to wait until after Easter to dig in?

Gluten-free maamoul made with another mould

Maamoul Moulds

Maamoul moulds can usually be found at most Middle-Eastern food shops. They can also be found online on websites such as e-bay. You can choose to use Asian pastry moulds too, if these are more readily available where you live, or you can shape the dough as per the recipe, then flatten slightly and decorate with a fork (see photos below). We have also provided a method for baking these as a slice, so if you can’t find the moulds, there’s no need to miss out!

Gluten Free Maamoul, Quirky Cooking
Gluten free maamoul, Quirky Cooking

Making maamoul without wooden moulds – hand made biscuits or slice

Gluten-Free Maamoul - Lebanese Easter Shortbread
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Shortbread
  1. 200g tapioca starch*, plus extra for dusting
  2. 200g blanched almond meal
  3. 190 cold salted butter, cut into cubes (if using unsalted, add 1/8th tsp fine salt)
  4. 2 Tbsp rosewater
Filling
  1. 260g medjool dates, pitted
  2. 100g cold salted butter, cut into cubes (if using unsalted, add 1/8th tsp fine salt)
Also needed
  1. Wooden maamoul moulds, baking trays and baking paper
  2. OR a 20x30cm (or 25x25cm) flat baking dish and baking paper
Thermomix Method
Shortbread
  1. Place all ingredients into TM bowl and blend 15 sec/speed 6. Set aside while making filling.
  2. Wash and dry TM bowl.
Filling
  1. Place dates and butter into clean TM bowl and blend 10 sec/speed 7.
  2. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula and blend again 10 sec/speed 4.
Assembling pastries
  1. Preheat oven to 150C.
  2. Divide and roll dough into 24 balls of 25g each, dusting with tapioca starch so dough doesn’t stick to your hands.
  3. Divide and roll date paste into 24 balls of 15g each.
  4. Lightly dust a ball of dough with tapioca, flatten out with fingertips into a circle, and place a ball of date paste onto dough. Wrap dough around the date ball and roll into a smooth ball, then place into a mould, pressing in gently. Knock the pastry out of the mould onto lined baking tray, and repeat with remaining balls of dough and date paste. . (Alternatively, you can make the balls of dough with date paste inside, press down slightly on a baking tray, then decorate the edges with a fork if you have no moulds.)
  5. Bake pastries for 30 minutes. They will still be pale in colour. Remove carefully to cooling racks after 10 mins.
  6. These can be served warm or cool, but they will hold together much better after being in the fridge for a day.
Baking as a slice
  1. Divide dough into two equal balls and chill in fridge for 30 mins. Leave the date paste to sit out at room temp so that it is soft enough to spread.
  2. Grease a 20x30cm or 25x25cm baking dish, and line with baking paper.
  3. Preheat oven to 150C.
  4. Press one ball of dough into lined dish to form the base of the slice, patting with fingers to even out surface of dough. If the dough has softened over this time, return to fridge to chill for 10 mins before proceeding with filling.
  5. Place spoonfuls of the date paste onto the base, and spread out with a spatula or back of a spoon to evenly cover base. (You may need to wet your hands and use your fingers to press paste down so that you can get it smooth and even.)
  6. Roll out second ball of dough between two sheets of baking paper, to fit baking tray exactly. Remove top sheet of paper and turn dough over into the baking dish, pressing down gently onto the filling. Carefully remove paper from top of dough, then smooth dough with fingers as needed.
  7. With a very sharp knife, slice into squares, cutting the whole way through. (Cutting the slice before baking makes it easier to cut after it’s cooked.) If you like, decorate top of slice with a fork to make patterns.
  8. Place slice into oven and bake 40 mins, or until cooked through. Slice will be pale in colour.
  9. Allow to cool then chill in fridge to completely set before serving. (If you can wait! Slice will crumble more if served while warm.)
Conventional Method Tips
  1. Dough: Mix in a food processor or by hand until smooth.
  2. Filling: Mix in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed.
  3. Continue recipe as above.
Storage
  1. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to a month, or freezer for up to 4 months.
  2. * Note: Tapioca starch is preferred to arrowroot starch in this recipe, as arrowroot gives a more delicate and crumbly result.
Quirky Cooking https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/

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38 Comments

  1. Deena Ragless says:
    March 23, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    Thank you so much, Fouad. My mum stopped making Maamoul once I could no longer have grains. She didn’t think it was right for the rest of the family to enjoy them, when I couldn’t. I will sneak her wooden moulds from her kitchen and make some for us all 🙂

    Reply
  2. Judy says:
    March 23, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    The Macadamia & Currant Shortbread is awesome, so I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ll be doing it as a slice I think.

    Reply
  3. Anne says:
    March 24, 2018 at 11:17 am

    Can’t wait to try this, thank you for sharing this recipe. My son would love this specially when he finds the filling. Awesome job sir, please do continue to share delicious recipes.

    Reply
  4. Judith says:
    March 24, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    Just went out and bought a mould … will have a go at making them for Easter. They look amazing!

    Reply
  5. Neri Melsmith says:
    March 25, 2018 at 6:30 am

    thats pretty straight forward for something so fancy and glutne free!
    im going t try it neri

    Reply
  6. Annette Evans says:
    March 25, 2018 at 8:09 am

    Hi, These look delightful, but as I am also dairy free can I use Nuttelex instead of butter.

    Annette

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      March 26, 2018 at 2:24 pm

      Hi Annette, thanks for your question. 🙂 We can’t recommend Nuttelex – coconut oil would be a healthier option, but we haven’t tested the recipe for that. If you give them a go, please let us know how they turn out. xx

      Reply
  7. Chelsea says:
    March 26, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    They look so delicious and the interesting thing is that it’s gluten free which made me so excited. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  8. Lisa says:
    March 27, 2018 at 8:58 am

    Can coconut oil or coconut yoghurt be used instead of butter to make a dairy free version of Gluten-Free Maamoul – Lebanese Easter Pastries?
    Please give advice for a dairy free version.

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      March 29, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      Hi Lisa! 🙂 Coconut oil should work but we have not yet tested them ourselves. You may find the dough very soft to work with as we recommend using cold butter so perhaps try using cold (set) coconut oil or place the dough into the fridge for a while after making it, before shaping into pastries.

      Reply
  9. Hanim says:
    March 27, 2018 at 11:17 am

    Thank you for sharing, these sound delicious and so simple!

    Reply
  10. Lisa says:
    March 27, 2018 at 5:49 pm

    Hi Jo! What is rosewater? where do you buy it?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      March 29, 2018 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Lisa, rosewater is water infused with rose petals. To find rosewater near you, I would do a quick google search (you can buy it online but you may not have it in time for Easter). 🙂

      Reply
  11. Katie SMITH says:
    March 27, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    HI Guys, do you think this would work without the filling?

    Reply
  12. Taryn says:
    March 30, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    These are absolutely beautiful! My family loved them, I think they’ll be an Easter tradition in our house! Thank you for sharing, happy Easter 🐣 🐰🐥

    Reply
  13. Nesiba Mahmoud says:
    June 15, 2018 at 4:51 am

    Can I use gluten free all purpose flour instead? If so, how much do I need?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      June 20, 2018 at 5:37 pm

      Hi Nesiba! We haven’t tested the Maamoul with GF flour so wouldn’t be able to tell you quantities, sorry! If you give them a go, let us know how they work out. xx

      Reply
  14. Vic says:
    June 17, 2018 at 11:12 pm

    These look delish! Can’t wait until we can have butter and nuts again, and these will certainly be on the list!

    Reply
  15. Sonia says:
    June 21, 2018 at 8:12 pm

    I was so happy to find your recipe last week and couldn’t wait to try them. I did today but replaced the butter with cold ghee butter since casein doesn’t sit well with me and my son. I also added extra 50 grams each of almond flour and tapioca since the dough was extremely sticky and I refrigerated it before working with it. I substituted one of the tbsp rose water with orange blossom. The taste is amazing and I’ve been missing it so much but… I felt that maybe it’s too much tapioca. Could the ghee have changed the texture? Have you experimented with more almond flour than tapioca?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      June 29, 2018 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Sonia, thanks for your message! 🙂 Glad you found the flavour amazing! We extensively tested this recipe. Did you use tapioca flour or arrowroot (quite often these are used interchangeably) as we found using arrowroot really effected the end result (more soft and crumbly). We also found chilling the Maamoul was preferable in texture to eating them warm.

      Reply
      • Sonia says:
        June 29, 2018 at 3:44 pm

        You are right, they are better enjoyed chilled. Yes I have followed your advise about using tapioca. I must confess that I’ve made them 3 times already (they don’t last 😉) but have now exchanged the amounts to 350g almond flour and 150 tapioca.. This works great for us. I also made the walnut/honey stuffed Maaloul. Delicious!!! Thank you so much for this recipe.

        Reply

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