Semolina dough

1. Start by placing the medium wheat semolina in a large bowl.
2. Then add the melted butter and mix with your hands to incorporate it well.
3. Cover with a cloth and let rest for at least 1 hour.
4. Finally add the other ingredients, the water, the orange blossom water and the pinch of salt and mix with your hands until you obtain a smooth dough (be careful not to work the dough too much as it may lose its texture, you should be able to feel the grains of semolina).
5. Cover the dough and let it rest while you prepare the stuffing.

Dates filling

1. Use date paste or pitted and mixed fresh dates.
2. Mix together the date paste with the orange blossom water and vanilla and let it rest in the chill for about 30 minutes.

Assembly

1. Take one half of the dough and form a sausage of about 25 cm long.
2. Dig into the center of the sausage with your fingers.
3. Incorporate in the hollow the date paste and close the semolina paste on the date paste to enclose it in the center.
4. Roll the dough roll with the date paste in the center again to smooth it out and stretch it out a bit until it is about 5 - 6 cm in diameter.
5. Use the date stamp to mark the makrout or flatten the roll with your hands and cut out diamonds.
6. Place your makrouts on a baking sheet and let them rest for about 20 minutes.

Cooking

1. Use a deep fryer or a frying pan filled with neutral oil to cook the makrout until they are golden brown.
2. Place the fried makrout on paper towels.

Honey bath

1. Heat the honey with the orange blossom water in a small saucepan.
2. Dip the makrouts in the mixture for a few minutes, then let them drain on a cake rack to allow the excess honey to drip off.