Makroud (Tunisian Semolina Date Pastries)

Method

1. 1
   • semolina 300 g
   • olive oil 1 dl

   Oil the semolina and wait — Rub 90 ml of the olive oil into the semolina with your fingertips until every grain is coated and the mixture feels like damp sand. Leave it for 20 minutes — the semolina has to drink the oil or the pastries will be gritty.

   ⏱20 min
2. 2
   • olive oil 1 dl
   • orange blossom water 2 tsp
   • date 250 g
   • ground cinnamon 1 tsp
   • orange zest 1 tsp

   Cook the date paste — Meanwhile warm the chopped dates in a small pan over low heat with the remaining olive oil, the cinnamon, orange zest and 1 tsp of the orange blossom water, mashing until you have a smooth, pliable paste. Let it cool a little.

3. 3
   • semolina 300 g
   • baking powder 1 tsp
   • salt ½ tsp
   • water 1¼ dl
   • orange blossom water 2 tsp

   Bring the dough together — Stir the baking powder and salt through the oiled semolina, then sprinkle over the warm water and the remaining orange blossom water and gather the dough together with your hands. Press, do not knead — kneading makes it tough.

4. 4
   • date 250 g

   Fill and cut into diamonds — Divide the dough in three and roll each piece into a log about 4 cm wide. Press a deep channel down the length with your finger, lay in a rope of date paste, close the dough over it and flatten the log to 2 cm thick. Cut on the diagonal into diamonds.

5. 5
   • semolina 300 g

   Fry to pale gold — Heat the frying oil to 170 °C in a deep pan. Fry the diamonds in batches for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and crisp — any darker and the semolina turns bitter. Drain briefly on a rack.

   ⏱15 min
6. 6
   • water 1¼ dl
   • honey 8 tbsp
   • sesame seeds 1 tbsp

   Dip in warm honey — Warm the honey with a splash of water until runny. Drop the still-hot makroud in for about a minute, turning so they drink it up, then lift out, scatter with sesame seeds and leave to set before serving.