Maamoul is a very popular pastry in the Middle East. It is prepared with a dough made of semolina or flour, smen (samneh, ghee or clarified butter), flavourings (mahaleb, rose or orange water) and sugar, filled with date, pistachio or walnut paste. The pistachio and walnut maamoul are sprinkled with icing sugar. Together with the famous ghriba (graybeh or melting shortbread) and barazek (sesame biscuits and pistachio chips), they make up what are known in the Near East as "nawachef" or dry biscuits, unlike other famous oriental pastries such as baklava, kunafah, mabroumé, katayef, etc., which need to be soaked in syrup. 

The maamoul is considered as the unavoidable pastry of the festivals in the countries of the Levant. For Aid or at Christmas, once served, these delicacies make everyone happy...