Gluten-Free Maamoul - Lebanese Easter Shortbread

By William Archey 21 Dec, 2019

Gluten-Free Maamoul – Lebanese Easter Pastries Recipe

200g tapioca starch*, plus extra for dusting
200g blanched almond meal
190 cold salted butter, cut into cubes (if using unsalted, add 1/8th tsp fine salt)
2 Tbsp rosewater

260g medjool dates, pitted
100g cold salted butter, cut into cubes (if using unsalted, add 1/8th tsp fine salt)

Place all ingredients into TM bowl and blend 15 sec/speed 6. Set aside while making filling.
Wash and dry TM bowl.

Preheat oven to 150C.
Divide and roll dough into 24 balls of 25g each, dusting with tapioca starch so dough doesn’t stick to your hands.
Divide and roll date paste into 24 balls of 15g each.
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.)
Bake pastries for 30 minutes. They will still be pale in colour. Remove carefully to cooling racks after 10 mins.
These can be served warm or cool, but they will hold together much better after being in the fridge for a day.

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.
Grease a 20x30cm or 25x25cm baking dish, and line with baking paper.
Preheat oven to 150C.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Place slice into oven and bake 40 mins, or until cooked through. Slice will be pale in colour.
Allow to cool then chill in fridge to completely set before serving. (If you can wait! Slice will crumble more if served while warm.)