Lemon and pistachio ma’akaroon: Middle Eastern cookies made easy

Forget French patisserie – chef Sami Tamimi shares his softer, nuttier take on ma’akaroon, a Middle Eastern cookie made with pistachio, lemon and a dusting of icing sugar

Dusted with icing sugar and scented with lemon and pistachio, these ma’akaroon offer a delicate, nutty twist on a classic Middle Eastern treat (Ola O Smit/Issy Croker)

“Middle Eastern ma’akaroon have nothing to do with French macarons,” says chef Sami Tamimi. “The Middle Eastern ones are traditionally made from semolina, olive oil and aniseed and are deep-fried before being drenched in sugar syrup,” he says. “Here is a slightly healthier way of making these buttery cookies, which are pretty easy to make.”

Ma’akaroon (lemon and pistachio cookies)

Makes: 15

Ingredients:

125g pistachios, finely ground

125g ground almonds

100g caster sugar

½ tsp mastic, ground

¼ tsp baking powder

Salt

2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tbsp runny honey

1 egg, lightly whisked

15g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2-3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

Method:

‘Boustany’ is a celebration of Palestinian vegetables, traditions and flavours – from hearty dishes to delicate sweets like these ma’akaroon (Ebury)

1. Put the ground pistachios, ground almonds, sugar, mastic, baking powder and ⅛ teaspoon of salt into a large mixing bowl and mix well, just enough to combine everything together. Add the preserved lemon, lemon zest, vanilla, honey, egg and butter and give everything a good mix, using a wooden spoon or spatula. The mixture should be slightly sticky.

2. Place the icing sugar on a large plate and start rolling the batter into walnut-size balls, about 30g each. Gently roll the balls in the icing sugar, making sure that they are well coated on all sides. Arrange on a large oven tray lined with baking parchment, evenly spaced out. Cover the tray and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 175°C fan and bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes, or until they start to get a bit of colour. Leave them to cool completely before serving.

(Once the cookies have been rolled, they can be kept in the freezer, in an airtight container, for a few weeks. When they are already baked, they will keep in an airtight container for five days).

Recipe from ‘Boustany’ by Sami Tamimi (Ebury, £30).