Makroud

Ingredients

Quantities for 14 servings.

• 600 g Semolina, medium grain
• 180 ml Olive oil
• 180 ml Warm water
• 500 g Dates, pitted
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 piece Orange zest
• 40 ml Orange blossom water
• 500 g Honey
• 700 ml Oil for frying
• 1 pinch Salt

Method

1. Rub the semolina with the olive oil and salt by hand until it is damp all through.
2. Leave the mixture half an hour so the grain takes up the oil and swells.
3. Add the warm water with the orange blossom water a little at a time, gathering the dough without kneading.
4. Steam the dates soft and pound them with the cinnamon and zest into a smooth paste.
5. Roll the dough into a strip, lay a rope of date paste down the centre and close the edges over it.
6. Press the strip flat and cut it on the diagonal into four-centimetre diamonds.
7. Deep-fry at 170 °C until golden and drop them hot into cold honey for five minutes.