Mamoul Date Cookies

First, combine 6 cups fine semolina, 4 sticks of unsalted butter (room temperature), and 1/2 cup sugar in a mixer. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, then let the mixture sit for an hour to allow the semolina to soak up the butter.

Next, add 1/2 cup AP flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon ground up anise seeds (optional), and 1 teaspoon cardamom to the semolina mixture.

Finally, add 1 1/4 cup warm milk to the dry ingredients, adding more if the dough is too dry, although 1 1/4 cups should suffice. Mix well and allow the dough to sit for about 30 minutes.

For the date filling, take 4 packs of date paste and season them with 1 tablespoon anise seeds, 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon cardamom. Mix the spices thoroughly with the date paste and set aside.

To assemble the cookies, grab a small amount of the cookie dough and form it into a ball. Shape it into a small pocket and place a ball of the date mixture (slightly smaller than the cookie dough) inside. Wrap the cookie dough around the date ball to form one large ball. Use a cookie mold to press down the ball and shape the cookie. Place the formed cookies on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, approximately 15-20 minutes, at 400 F.

Remove the cookies from the sheet pan and allow them to cool completely. You can dust them with powdered sugar before serving or enjoy them as is.