Nut-Stuffed Semolina Pastries
Submitted by Stu5100
Semolina pastries stuffed with pistachios, cinnamon, and sugar, then dipped in orange flower water and rolled in powdered sugar. A Middle Eastern-style cookie.
YIELD
2 1/2 dozenPREP
25 minCOOK
45 minREADY
8 hrsThese semolina pastries follow a traditional Middle Eastern technique where butter gets cooked into fine semolina, then rests overnight. That overnight rest lets the semolina absorb all the butter fat, creating a dough the next day that’s sandy, tender, and crumbles on contact with your tongue.
Orange flower water goes into both the dough and the finishing dip, giving the pastries a floral perfume that hits you before the first bite. The filling is simple: chopped pistachios mixed with sugar and cinnamon, tucked inside each walnut-sized ball of dough.
Shaping takes a little practice. Press your thumb in to create a deep well, spoon in the filling, then pinch the dough closed and roll it into an oval. The semolina dough is forgiving and won’t crack if you handle it gently.
Bake until light chestnut, not dark. These pastries go from golden to overdone quickly. The quick dip in orange flower water right after baking adds moisture and fragrance, and the powdered sugar coating clings to that damp surface.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skip the overnight rest. The butter needs time to fully saturate the semolina for that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Use fine semolina, not coarse. Coarse semolina produces a gritty dough that doesn’t seal around the filling.
- Work quickly when dipping baked pastries. They should be warm, not hot, or the sugar melts into a paste.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh for a week and actually improve after a day or two.
Variations
- Use walnuts or almonds instead of pistachios for the filling.
- Add a pinch of cardamom to the nut mixture for extra warmth.
- Replace orange flower water with rose water for a different floral note.
Ingredients
Directions
In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the butter to bubbling over medium heat and stir in the fine semolina.
Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and let stand overnight at room temperature.
The next day, uncover and add 2 teaspoons orange flower water, the salt, and gradually the warm water, working with your fingers to make a firm dough.
Knead for 5 minutes, then cover and let rest 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine the pistachios, sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
Break off pieces of dough slightly larger in size than a walnut.
Work in your fingers to form a ball.
Press the center with your thumb to make a large well and fill with 1 teaspoon of the nut mixture, then cover over with dough and shape into an oval.
Set on a cookie sheet and continue until all pastries are shaped.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350℉ (180℃). for 30 to 35 minutes or until the yellow color has become a light, not a deep, chestnut.
Remove to racks and cool for 10 minutes, then dip quickly into orange flower water and roll in confectioners’ sugar.
Cool before storing.
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