It’s all about maamoul now. Yum. Can you imagine enjoying some maamoul that taste like the real thing, but guilt-free? I was approached with a challenge, a challenge to taste and enjoy some maamoul that is said to taste as good as normal ones, yet without the calories.
During University days, I gained a lot of weight due to eating fast food on a daily basis. I was advised to go to Le Gabarit for their weight loss program. They helped me loose weight.
Today, Le Gabarit is producing Mammoul, the traditional maamoul that are sugar-free and healthier. Low in fat, no added sugar, no artificial additives… their maamoul are made from imported premium ingredients especially for Le Gabarit… They are suitable for diabetics as well as those looking to keep their shape in order as well as staying healthy.
Down in Zalka, on the fourth floor of Mallah Centre facing Lina's, Le Gabarit welcomes you into a space where all walls are stacked with nutritional goods, Gluten free items and sugar free products. Everything homemade had the number of calories on them as well as comparatives to know what have you been accumulating, for free.
Maamoul made with passion, that's their motto.
Bring on the challenge. Let’s try some maamoul… that is said to be tasty yet guilt-free. Walnuts, pistachio and tamer maamoul… they look exactly like they would be prepared with regular ingredients.
- We started with the pistachio ones. A kilo sold for LBP44,000 is constituted of individual cookies each composed of fresh flaky dough and offer a certain lightness I've never seen before in a maamoul. The dough crumbles under the teeth before reaching the crunchy premium pistachios cut in small dices. It has the same texture of the normal Mammoul yet five times less the calories – a perfect holiday snack. The difference is that there’s no sweet after taste and the mixture lacks the crunchy sugar you would normally feel while eating the normal Mammoul. I would personally dip a piece in some honey to enjoy an awesome trip to planet Mars and back.
- Walnuts followed. These are round in shape. The walnut maamoul are juicier and offer the same flakiness, same crunchy heart and a cover of semolina, which adds an interesting sandy texture. Sold for the same price LBP44,000/kilo, they would fit great with some artificial sweetner powder on top if you like sweet notes. I'm a fan of their dough.
- Now for the maamoul with dried dates (Tammer). These are great since the heart adds that missing sweetness. Sold for LBP40,000/kilo, they's moist and offer a better feel in your mouth. Fresh and flaky, these Mammoul are filled with a generous portion of condensed Tamer. I was amazed. These are my favorite of the three.
A challenge they won indeed. Le Gabarit managed to create fresh Mammoul that are tasty, good looking and more importantly guilt-free.
I thought we were done until another box landed in front of me. Lighter in color, exactly the same in shape, I was offered Gluten-free Mammoul. Yes, Gluten-free Mammoul and believe me they're even better than the normal ones.
They are sold at LBP80,000/kilo. Expensive, but only because all the ingredients used are expensive. Less flaky, more dewy, sweeter, crunchy in the middle, moist and light, these bite really amazed me. If you're gluten intolerant, this is surely your treat this holiday.
Today I was impressed. I enjoyed some healthy diet products that were actually good. Diabetes, Gluten Intolerent or overweight, you can enjoy some maamoul this season. Recommended for sure.
