Makroud with Dates
Golden semolina diamonds, filled with date paste perfumed with cinnamon and orange blossom water, fried then bathed in hot honey.
Golden semolina diamonds, filled with date paste perfumed with cinnamon and orange blossom water, fried then bathed in hot honey.
A date and a sip of water — that's how the Prophet broke the fast, and that's how we did it. But on festive evenings, my mother stuffed the semolina with date paste, scented with orange blossom, and dipped them in honey until they shone. We offered them to visitors, we never let anyone leave empty-handed. Taste, don't fear the honey — sweetness, you see, is also a way to resist the bitterness of the times.
- •Durum wheat semolina — a salad bowl (dough)
- •Smen or olive oil — generously (dough binder)
- •Pitted dates (Deglet Nour) — a good amount (signature filling)
- •Cinnamon, orange blossom water — to taste (flavor)
- •Honey — for dipping (coating)
Makroud with Dates
Golden semolina diamonds, filled with date paste perfumed with cinnamon and orange blossom water, fried then bathed in hot honey.
Why this dish? Dates appear in his diet and are the quintessential food for breaking the fast in Islam, as practiced by Ben Bella. Makroud, semolina diamonds stuffed with date paste and dipped in honey, is the sweet of celebrations and visits, offered with tea.
A date and a sip of water — that's how the Prophet broke the fast, and that's how we did it. But on festive evenings, my mother stuffed the semolina with date paste, scented with orange blossom, and dipped them in honey until they shone. We offered them to visitors, we never let anyone leave empty-handed. Taste, don't fear the honey — sweetness, you see, is also a way to resist the bitterness of the times.
Ingredients (period version)
- Durum wheat semolina — a salad bowl (dough)
- Smen or olive oil — generously (dough binder)
- Pitted dates (Deglet Nour) — a good amount (signature filling)
- Cinnamon, orange blossom water — to taste (flavor)
- Honey — for dipping (coating)
Ingredients
- Medium semolina — 500 g (dough)
- Oil (or melted smen) — 120 ml (binder)
- Orange blossom water — 3 tbsp + warm water (flavor and hydration)
- Deglet Nour date paste — 300 g (filling)
- Cinnamon — 1 tsp (filling spice)
- Honey — 300 g (coating)
- Frying oil — for frying (cooking)
Method
- Mix semolina and oil/smen, let rest, then hydrate with warm water and orange blossom water until a supple dough forms.
- Work the date paste with a little cinnamon and orange blossom water to make it pliable.
- Roll out the semolina dough into strips, place a log of date paste in the center, fold over, then flatten.
- Mark diamond shapes with a knife and cut them out.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown, drain.
- Dip the hot makroud in warm honey for a few moments, drain on a rack, and serve with tea.
How it was made : Makroud is typical of the palm grove regions of the South and East, where dates were abundant; it kept for several days thanks to sugar and honey, making it a travel and storage sweet. In some families they were baked rather than fried. The date holds a sacred place: it is with it that the fast is traditionally broken.
The contemporary twist : A baked version, golden and rolled in sesame seeds, sprinkled with a few crushed pistachios for the tray.
Sources : Fatéma Hal, Les saveurs et les gestes · Inventaire des pâtisseries traditionnelles algériennes (makroud des Aurès et du Sud)
Ahmed Ben Bella · Charactorium
