Tunisian · Dessert

Baked makroudh date cookies

A semolina shell surrounds soft date filling in these small diamond-shaped cookies. The baked version has a sandy, tender bite and a thin honey glaze scented with orange blossom.

VegetarianModerate16 small cookies; 2 per serving

Ingredients

Original recipe: 16 small cookies; 2 per serving. Ingredient amounts scale below; the method is written for 8 servings. For larger amounts, use separate batches and check doneness.

  • 250 gFine semolina
  • 50 gAll-purpose flour
  • 90 gUnsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ tspFine salt
  • 140 mlWarm water, divided
  • 1 tspOrange-blossom water, food-grade
  • 220 gPitted soft dates
  • ½ tspGround cinnamon
  • 70 gHoney
  • 1 tspLemon juice

Make it

  1. Rub the semolina, flour, melted butter and salt together until evenly sandy. Sprinkle in 100 ml water and the orange-blossom water, pressing gently into a soft dough without kneading. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, finely chop the dates or pulse them in a food processor with the cinnamon and 20 ml water to form a thick paste. Divide the paste into two logs about 25 cm long.
  3. Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 28-cm log. Make a channel down each log, fit in the date filling and pinch the dough closed. Gently flatten, then cut diagonally into 16 diamonds.
  4. Arrange on a parchment-lined tray and bake for 22–25 minutes until the bases and edges are golden. Heat the honey, lemon juice and remaining 20 ml water in a small pan until fluid. Brush the warm cookies with the glaze.
  5. Cool on the tray for 15 minutes, until firm enough to lift. Serve two cookies per portion; they will be more delicate while hot.
Ingredients, recipe context & sources

Ingredient flags: Milk, Wheat. Check packaged ingredients and cross-contact.

This is an original Livura home-cooking interpretation, not yet independently kitchen-tested. Source links provide dish and cultural context; the recipe wording and quantities are Livura’s.

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