SC - REC: MA'AMOUL & GHOURIBI... Persian cookies (Well, that area)

[Seton1355 at aol.com]

I just found these  recipes in: _The Jewish Holiday Kitchen_ 
Joan Nathan    1978

MA'AMOUL

DOUGH:
2 and a half C all purpose flour
1/2 C semolina (I have used cream of wheat)
2 and a half sticks of margarine or butter
2 tsp vegetable oil
one quarter to one half cup of water

FILLING:
1 and one half C bround walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
one half C sugar
(My Lebanese friend uses ground up dates, and a bit of suger as an alurnate 
filling.)

DIRECTIONS;
Combine the flour, semolina margarine or butter and the oil.
Add the water gradually.
Blend well (or use a food processor)
Cover and set aside for 10 - 15 minutes.

Combine the walnuts with the cinnamon and the sugar.
(Or, alternately, whirl about a pound of dates and one half C sugar in the 
food processor until all mixed and ground well.)

Preheat oven to 350 F
Either use a ma'amoul mold or break off a peice of dough about the size of a 
walnut.
Roll into a ball and then make a depression through to the center with your 
thumb. (The filling will fill this depression)

Place a teaspoon of filling in this depression and then mold / roll the dough 
ball closed with your hands.

Place each cookie on and ungreased cookie sheet.
With the tines of a fork, make decorations on top of the cookie.

Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Do not brown, the cookies should look white.
Cool.
When hard , roll in confectioner's sugar.
Makes 35 - 40

GHOURIBI   (MOROCCAN SUGAR COOKIES)

1 C veg oil or butter
1 C sugar
3 C flour
one third C finely ground walnuts or almonds.
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to  350 F
Lightly flour an ungreased cookie sheet.
Place oil and sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time and knead well.
Blend in the nuts.
When the dough feels smooth, use the palm of your hand to roll it into balls 
the size of an egg.
Pat into a round cookie 2 " in diameter.  The cookie should not be flat.
Place on the cookie sheet and sprinkle the center of each cookie with 
cinnamon.
Bake 45 minutes
Do not let the cookies become even slightly brown, they must remain off 
white. 
Makes about 30

*** A Turkish variation used cocoa instead of cinnamon and is sprinkled with 
powered sugar.