Maamoul are a Lebanese traditional dessert especially around Easter.  They are a Lebanese pastry that come in several fillings ranging from dates, pistachios, to walnuts and more. My personal favorites are the date filled ones. My mom used to always bake dozens upon dozens of batches but after I got diagnosed with celiac, it got a little harder and took me some time to figure out a recipe that I liked. This year, I finally whipped something up that I thought would be worthy of sharing with the rest of y'all and it's actually quite easy. They taste just about the same as the originals and can definitely satisfy your sweet tooth without the added sugar.

Here's the recipe:

Pastry dough:
2 cups of Gluten Free all purpose flour (I used Enjoy life's)
2 1/2 cups of Gluten Free Polenta (Corn meal)
2 1/2 cups of Coconut oil (feel free to replace this with butter)
1/2 tsp of yeast
1 Tbsp Rose water
1 Tbsp Orange blossom water to taste

Start off by combining the all purpose flour and polenta in a large bowl. Proceed by adding in the coconut oil rubbing it into the flour until it forms a gritty texture. Make sure to rub the ingredients together rather than kneading. If preparing overnight you can let it rest in a cool area. Add the yeast, rose water, and orange blossom water the next day. If not, let sit aside in a cool area or the fridge for 25-30 minutes. Afterwards, combine the yeast, rose water, and orange blossom flower and mix them into the dough. Knead the dough and let it rise for minimum 30 minutes.

Dates Filling: 
2 cups of dates
a splash of rose + orange blossom water to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil

While you wait for the dough to rise, combine the dates with rose and orange blossom, or you can also leave them on their own if you wish. I also added some coconut oil in order to form a smoother paste. You can either knead it by hand or in a mixer. I used my hands as I felt I had more control over the dates and deciding how smooth I wanted the paste.

Once the filling is ready, take the dough and form dough balls. You may then proceed by filling each ball one by one with some date filling. In terms of shape, you can just do a simple circular dough ball, use a mold, or anything you wish. I decided to shape mine the way my mom used to when we were kids. In order to do that, I took a piece of dough and rolled it out using a rolling pin. I then took some date filling and rolled it into a sausage like shape using my hands. I placed it into the dough and rolled the dough over it. I then folded the dough into a circular shape which resembles that of a donut.

And that's it! :) It's as simple as that.

Once you have your Maamoul ready, place them onto a baking sheet lining it with parchment paper or just greasing it with some oil. Bake the Maamoul for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the Maamoul start browning, remove them and allow to cool for at least an hour. You can also sprinkle some icing sugar once they have cooled. There you have it, gluten free Maamoul for everyone to enjoy! :)

Here is the final result:








































I hope this helps some of you in making some gluten free treats for Easter or any other events. :)
Happy eating,
xox Léa S.

Have any comments, questions, or suggestions?
Please leave them in the comments below, I would love to hear your feedback! :)

Before going on my trip to Lebanon, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find Gluten Free options or that they wouldn't even know what being Gluten free/Celiac disease was. This was my first time travelling back home post diagnosis. Being gluten free let alone is quite challenging so travelling gluten free, I did not think was going to be easy. To my surprise, it was actually a lot easier than I expected. Here are a few things you need to know about travelling Gluten Free to Lebanon(or anywhere else).

1. Airlines are accommodating

For starters, most flights are actually able to accommodate your dietary needs. When booking your trip, if done through a travel agent, make sure you let them know you have a dietary restriction. If not, you could mention it while booking. Either way, the airlines will make sure to have a GF (or any other dietary restrictions you have) meal for you on hand which is neat. Although I don't usually enjoy airplane food, it's nice to know there are options available for you. That way you don't feel like you're missing out on much. Plus, you get your food before everyone else ;).

2. Most meals are made at home 
When I'm in Lebanon, I notice that most meals we eat are actually made at home. People would think that when you're on vacation you would be eating out more but being in Lebanon is like being home. If you do have a dietary restriction like me, this is awesome because it is much easier to tailor your meals at home where you could see how they're being done. You could also cook for yourself and not have to worry about what to eat!

3. Lebanese food has many options! 
Although some families eat a lot of bread with their meals, I am fortunate enough that my family does not. Despite that, we still do find the traditional pita or saj at the table. On the bright side, there are alot of Lebanese Mezza and food that are actually gluten free. Most appetizers consist of : Taboule, Labne, Hummus, Baba ghanouj, and nuts which are all GF. Traditional Lebanese meals include: Lahme(meat), Chicken skewers, Kafta, Fish, Fries. All of these options are gluten free which makes it easier for us GF peeps! :) If you are at a Lebanese restaurant, the only thing you would have to watch out for is making sure they do not place pita under your meats.

4. Most grocery stores in Lebanon now have GF options 
Always check for a gluten free aisle no matter where you travel. With the many trips I made to the grocery store, I noticed that most chain grocery stores now have a Gluten Free section. I found many options at Le Charcutier Aoun as well as O&C. I also found products that are not available here such as GF Lebanese Pita bread from O&C. I will be putting up a post shortly about my favorite GF products with more details.

5. Stick to what you know
Despite all of the options and all the homemade meals, it is inevitable that you will go out and want to indulge. This part is a little harder in Lebanon seeing as there aren't many restaurants who offer clearly labeled gluten free items or menus. Crepaway as well as Kitchen Confidential were the only two that I encountered with Gluten Free options. My advice would be to stick to what you know. Try sticking to plain foods like fries, meats, fruits, anything you can guarantee would not have gluten in it. It may be hard but it's possible!

For a more detailed post on my favorite GF products/meals in Lebanon and where to find them, click here.

I hope this gives you all some insight on travelling GF,
xox Léa S.