Keto Cardamom Ma'amoul Cookies
Two years ago, my husband was on a business trip to Oman—a very distant and, for us, completely unfamiliar Oriental country. Over the course of five to six months, he traveled to Muscat—the capital of Oman—three times. Each time he returned, his gifts were dates, date-filled cookies, and spices, most of them varying degrees of hot. Today, I’m making the cookies. They’re called maamoul. These are characteristic of Syrian cuisine and are festive sweets traditionally made on the eve of Ramadan. The original cookies have a semolina-like dough and a filling of dates, pistachios, or other nuts. The keto version has no sugar at all, and yet it comes remarkably close to that unforgettable Oriental flavor. The secret ingredient is cardamom. Cardamom is a perennial herbaceous plant from the exotic regions of India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The fruits resemble bean pods, and the seeds have a pronounced camphor-like aroma; they are considered one of the most expensive spices in the world. Both the leaves and the seeds are valuable, and their properties are used in various fields. The most prized types are black, white, and green cardamom. Cardamom is valued not only in Eastern countries but also in our region—not just for its originality and refined taste, but also for its medicinal properties. In ancient times, healers attributed magical qualities to the plant and prescribed it for all kinds of ailments. Cardamom is very beneficial in cancer prevention, for cardiovascular issues, and for digestive tract disorders; it has antibacterial and antiseptic effects and is good for the skin and hair. It’s no coincidence that ancient healers considered it a panacea. In the Middle Ages, it was used mainly by the nobility because of its high price, and it was believed to “ignite passion and the fire of the body.” Here are a few more interesting facts about this spice: - Drinking an infusion made from boiled cardamom husks can relieve hiccups. No one knows exactly why, but it works! - Bedouin coffee, which Arabs brew as a sign of hospitality, certainly includes cardamom extract. This drink is prepared for every celebration. - In India, cardamom essential oil is used to treat snake bites. - Traditionally, cardamom is used by Thai cooks. In Europe, people like to add it to alcoholic drinks in winter to give them a warming effect. Nowadays, two varieties are most valued: Indian and Ceylonese cardamom. Ceylonese cardamom has more pronounced aromatic qualities, and its price remains quite high. You’ll most easily find it in health-food/organic stores. It’s sold whole or ground; ground cardamom in larger quantities usually has a better price. I have whole seeds. While preparing this recipe, I had a lot of trouble crushing them. I could have just added the whole seeds to the dough, but then I thought of grinding them in a coffee grinder together with erythritol. That way, I ended up with an incredibly aromatic powdered erythritol.
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