Air Fryer Maamoul (Date-Filled Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups fine semolina (or plain flour)
• 100 g melted butter or ghee, cooled
• 2-3 tbsp milk, as needed (optional)
• 1 cup pitted dates, mashed into a soft paste
• 1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water (optional)
• Icing sugar, to dust (optional)
• A pinch of salt

Steps

1. Mix the semolina, melted butter and a pinch of salt into a soft, sandy dough, then rest it for at least 1 hour (or overnight) so the semolina softens - skipping this makes the cookies gritty rather than tender.
2. Warm the date paste slightly with the rose water so it's soft enough to shape, then roll into small balls a bit smaller than the dough portions.
3. Take a portion of dough, flatten it in your palm, place a date ball in the centre, and fold the dough around it to seal completely.
4. Press each filled ball into a mould if you have one, or shape by hand and mark a pattern on top with a fork.
5. Preheat the air fryer to 160°C - maamoul want gentle, even heat rather than a hard blast, or the outside colours before the inside sets.
6. Arrange in a single layer on parchment or a perforated liner, without touching.
7. Air fry for 8 minutes, then check - they should look just set and barely golden at the base, not browned.
8. Air fry a further 6-8 minutes (about 14-16 minutes total) until the base is very lightly golden; the tops should stay pale.
9. Cool completely in the basket before moving them - maamoul are crumbly and fragile while warm and firm up as they cool.
10. Dust with icing sugar once fully cool.

Tip: Resist the urge to bake these until golden all over - traditional maamoul stay pale on top even when fully cooked; a browned top usually means they're overdone and dry.

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Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated from standard ingredient data — actual values vary by brand and exact quantities used.