Recipes

Pu Erh Vanilla Ma’amoul Cookies

27 February 2023

Ma’amoul cookies are quite a tradition, though many families have different ways of making them, and with different ingredients, and also often using special moulding techniques to create intricate patterns. Our Pu Erh Vanilla Ma’amoul Cookies are very simple, using plain flour and a date paste infused with the earthy notes of pu erh tea and the sweet, soft essence of vanilla. Embellished with a pink rosebud and dusted with icing sugar, they are elegant as well as delicious, and make an excellent gift for sharing with loved ones during Ramadan.

Pu Erh Vanilla Ma’amoul Cookies

Duration: 1 hour

Serves: 32

Ingredients

150g ghee or butter
312.5 g plain flour
2tbsps sugar
2tbsps rose water or orange flower water
3 tbsps milk (start with 2 and add as needed)
300g pitted medjool dates
3 pearls of AVANTCHA Ripe Pu Erh Pearls
2 tsps vanilla bean paste

Method

Crush the Pu Erh Pearls in a mortar and pestle or grinder, add to a bowl with the dates and cover with boiling water, cover with a plate and set aside
Melt the butter or ghee and add the sugar, mixing to combine
In a large bowl, combine the mixture with the flour, working them together with your fingers
Add the rose water and then the milk, one tablespoon at a time
Knead it all into a soft, pliable dough
Let the dough rest for half an hour
Divide your dough into 32 equal balls and set aside
Drain the dates (save the liquid for a strong, sweet cold brew) and remove about half of the tea leaves before adding the dates and remaining tea to a food processor and blitzing
Divide the date mass into 32 portions and roll them into smooth balls – be sure to flour your hands and a board to make this easier and have somewhere to place them
Then take a dough ball and flatten it in the palm of your head before adding a date ball in the centre and rolling the sides of the dough around and upwards to seal at the edges
Press into a disk, set aside, and continue with remaining dough and date balls
Place the cookies with the smooth side up on a large baking sheet with at least an inch between each
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden
Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar before pressing a little rosebud into the centre of each
Store in an airtight container for up to a week