These delicious pastries have
been enjoyed across the Middle
East for hundreds of years.
While there are many different
regional variants of ma’amoul,
their popularity transcends
religious boundaries, being eaten
by Christians at Easter, Muslims
during Eid, and Jewish commu-
nities throughout Hanukkah.
This particular recipe will
make pastries with three tasty
and fragrant fillings.Difficulty: 4/10 / Time: 13 hrs total
INGREDIENTS
Dough
500g plain white flour
2 tbsp white sugar
250g unsalted butter, melted
1–2 tbsp rose or orange flower water
2 tbsp water or milk
Icing sugarPistachio filling
Mix 250g of finely chopped
pistachios with 2 tbsp sugar and
1 tbsp rose water.Walnut filling
Mix 250g of finely chopped walnuts
with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp
cinnamon.Date filling
Chop 500g stoneless dates and bringto the boil with half a teacup of
water, squashing the mixture against
the side of the pan with a wooden
spoon until uniform. Allow to cool.METHOD (^) Sift the flour into a
bowl and combine with the sugar,
before working in the melted butter
until the mixture is uniform. Cover
and leave on the side overnight.
Break up the dough with your
fingers and add the rose water or
orange flower water, along with
water or milk until it is malleable.
Knead into one smooth ball.
Take a walnut-sized ball of the
dough, stick your thumb into it and
hollow out into a cup shape, so that
the walls are as thin as possible.
Insert a filling to about three-quarters
full, and pinch closed. Pat gently into
a ball, not letting the walls break.
Decorate the pastry on top with
the prongs of a fork, or pat into a
wooden mould and bang face down
onto the work surface to extract.
Make as many pastries as you
can until all the dough and filling is
used. If the dough starts drying out,
knead in more water or milk.
Place the pastries on a baking
sheet (not greased) and bake in a
pre-heated oven at 180°C for
20 minutes. Do not allow them to
become hardened and brown.
Leave the pastries to cool and
dust with icing sugar before serving.
HISTORY COOKBOOK
SAM
NOTT/IWM (KY 012151)/GETTY
IMAGES
VISIT
In search of safety
From Jewish children fleeing Nazi Germany to Syrian
families living in the Calais ‘jungle’, the stories of refugees
over the past 100 years are brought together in a major new
exhibition opening at IWM London in April.
Combining film, photography and other unique artefacts
from the museum’s collections, Refugees: Forced to Flee
examines the variety of reasons people are driven to leave
their home countries, and the challenges they can face in the
process of trying to seek safety.
Objects on display include the diary of Belgian refugee
Eugeen-Marie Bosteels, who describes how he and his
family were treated on their way to England in 1914, to newly
digitised images of United Nations peacekeeping missions
during the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
The display forms part of a season of exhibitions and
events based around refugees’ stories, and complements an
installation in the museum atrium entitled History of Bombs,
created by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. For full details of the
Refugees programme – including events taking place at
IWM North in Manchester – visit the link below.
Refugees: Forced to Flee
IWM London / 2 April – 29 November / iwm.org.uk/seasons/refugees
Once the pastries
are filled, they are
typically shaped
using a decorative
wooden mould
German civilians, fleeing the Soviet advance, pick their way across
the river Elbe on a partially destroyed railway bridge, May 1945
WATCH
Radical action
In 1970, the annual Miss World competition
(pictured below) was a light entertainment
highlight, televised by the BBC from the Royal
Albert Hall. But change was in the air because
this was also the year when activists from the
Women’s Liberation Movement targeted an
event co-hosted by Bob Hope.
A one-off documentary tells the story of a
November night when the rise of feminism
collided with the Angry Brigade planting bombs,
the civil rights movement and the struggle
against apartheid.
Look out too for Misbehaviour
(currently in UK cinemas), a
new drama looking back at
the same events.
Miss World 1970:
Beauty Queens & Bedlam
BBC Two / Scheduled for March
TASTE
Ma’amoul
→
Thesedeliciouspastrieshave
beenenjoyedacrosstheMiddle
Eastforhundredsof years.
Whilethereare manydifferent
regionalvariantsof ma’amoul,
theirpopularitytranscends
religiousboundaries,beingeaten
byChristiansat Easter,Muslims
duringEid,andJewishcommu-
nitiesthroughoutHanukkah.
Thisparticularrecipewill
makepastrieswiththree tasty
and fragrant fillings.
Difficulty:4/10/Time:13 hrs total
INGREDIENTS
Dough
500gplain white flour
2 tbsp white sugar
250gunsaltedbutter,melted
1–2tbsp rose or orange flower water
2 tbsp water or milk
Icing sugar
Pistachiofilling
Mix250g of finely chopped
pistachioswith 2 tbsp sugar and
1 tbsp rose water.
Walnutfilling
Mix250g of finely choppedwalnuts
with2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp
cinnamon.
Datefilling
Chop 500g stoneless dates and bring
to the boil with half a teacupof
water, squashingthe mixtureagainst
the side of the pan with a wooden
spoon until uniform. Allow to cool.
METHOD Sift the flour into a
bowl and combinewith the sugar,
beforeworkingin the meltedbutter
until the mixtureis uniform.Cover
and leave on the side overnight.
Breakup the doughwith your
fingersand add the rose water or
orangeflower water, along with
water or milk until it is malleable.
Kneadinto one smoothball.
Takea walnut-sizedball of the
dough,stick your thumbinto it and
hollowout into a cup shape,so that
thewallsareasthinaspossible.
Insert a filling to about three-quarters
full, and pinch closed.Pat gently into
aball, not letting the walls break.
Decoratethe pastry on top with
the prongsof a fork, or pat into a
woodenmouldand bang face down
ontothe work surfaceto extract.
Makeas many pastriesas you
can until all the doughand filling is
used. If the doughstarts dryingout,
kneadin more water or milk.
Placethe pastrieson a baking
sheet (not greased)and bake in a
pre-heatedoven at 180°C for
20 minutes.Do not allow them to
becomehardenedand brown.
Leavethe pastriesto cool and
dust with icing sugar before serving.
HISTORY COOKBOOK
SAM
NOTT/IWM (KY 012151)/GETTY
IMAGES
VISIT
Insearchofsafety
From JewishchildrenfleeingNazi Germanyto Syrian
familiesliving in the Calais ‘jungle’,the storiesof refugees
over the past 100 years are broughttogetherin a major new
exhibitionopeningat IWM Londonin April.
Combiningfilm, photographyand other uniqueartefacts
from the museum’scollections,Refugees:Forcedto Flee
examinesthe varietyof reasonspeopleare driven to leave
their home countries,and the challenges they can face in the
processof trying to seek safety.
Objectson displayincludethe diary of Belgianrefugee
Eugeen-MarieBosteels,who describeshow he and his
family were treatedon their way to Englandin 1914, to newly
digitisedimagesof UnitedNationspeacekeeping missions
duringthe BosnianWar in the 1990s.
Thedisplayforms part of a seasonof exhibitionsand
eventsbased aroundrefugees’stories,and complementsan
installationin the museumatriumentitledHistoryof Bombs,
createdby Chineseartist Ai Weiwei.For full detailsof the
Refugeesprogramme– includingeventstaking place at
IWM North in Manchester – visit the link below.
Refugees:Forcedto Flee
IWM London / 2 April – 29 November/iwm.org.uk/seasons/refugees
Oncethepastries
are filled,they are
typicallyshaped
usinga decorative
wooden mould
Germancivilians,fleeingthe Sovietadvance,pick theirway across
the river Elbe on a partially destroyed railway bridge, May 1945
WATCH
Radical action
In 1970, the annualMiss World competition
(picturedbelow)was a light entertainment
highlight,televisedby the BBC from the Royal
Albert Hall. But changewas in the air because
this was also the year when activistsfrom the
Women’sLiberationMovementtargeted an
eventco-hostedby Bob Hope.
A one-offdocumentarytells the story of a
Novembernight when the rise of feminism
collidedwith the Angry Brigadeplantingbombs,
the civilrights movementand the struggle
againstapartheid.
Look out too forMisbehaviour
(currentlyin UK cinemas),a
new dramalookingback at
the same events.
MissWorld1970:
BeautyQueens& Bedlam
BBC Two / Scheduled for March
TASTE
Ma’amoul
→