Pistachio Maamoul Cookies are very famous traditional Middle Eastern cookies that have been around for generations. They are stuffed with ground pistachios and dusted with powdered sugar. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and knead very well with your hand.
Traditionally, maamoul are shaped using a mold called a tabbeh. These molds are carved out of wood and have a handle that can be tapped to release the cookie. The shape of the mold signifies what filling is inside the cookie. Round with a flat top means a date stuffed maamoul
Maamoul is usually the general term of this type of cookie. It is filled with either Dates, Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans and even some people fill them with dried fruits like figs. But my favorites are the Date and Pistachio filled Maamouls. Pistachio Maamouls are a little different than Date Maamouls.
Maamoul’s paste is prepared from semolina (aka “smeed” in Arabic) which is the coarse, purified wheat middling of durum wheat. Coarse semolina is typically a bit yellowish in color and is known as “smeed khishin” in Arabic, or coarse “smeed”.