Eaten in Tunisia and Algeria, makroudh is a date pastry made with semolina and filled with dates: here is an easy makroudh recipe you can try at home.
Put the sugar in a pan with the lemon juice and 250 ml of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for around 10 minutes until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat.
In a bowl, mix together the semolina and flour.
Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients, together with the oil.
Mix together until homogeneous. Add a little more oil if necessary.
Stir in boiling water, a tablespoonful at a time, until you have a smooth dough.
Shape the dough into strands 3-4 cm thick and make a depression along the centre.
Spoon the date paste into the depression and wrap the dough around it so that it encloses the paste.
Flatten slightly and score in a diamond pattern.
Cut into approx. 4 cm lengths and fry in the hot oil until crispy.
Drain briefly on kitchen paper and transfer to the sugar syrup.
