Yummy Bakery — Restaurant in Clifton

Maamouls, just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in

Maamoul, a filled butter cookie, is associated with Purim, Easter, and Eid. It is eaten all year round with tea and coffee but becomes a special treat when breaking fast in lent or Ramadan. It symbolizes 1500 years of shared history amongst Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

The filling is either a paste of figs, or dates, or pistachios or walnuts …

The dough is made with white flour, or semolina. Some add Mastic (a tree resin) and Mahlab (spice from the inner kernel of cherry pits) to the dough.

Maamouls come in various shapes and each baker decorates it in his personal style.

Sadly, they have been around for so long that they have become boring. Delicious but boring.

But remember Michael Corleone, “Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in”. Something similar happened to me. I came across Maamouls made with Cheese Butter.

What is Cheese Butter ?

Cheese Butter is just another word for whey. In Scandinavia they use this whey to make Brunost or Brown Cheese. But in other parts of the world, this whey is used to give a new swag to the old humble Maamoul. Suddenly our old friend has a new taste profile. A hint of cheese, less sweet than the regular Maamouls, in fact slightly salty. I am back to loving Maamouls. I am very, very sorry that I said Maamouls had become boring.

So now the million dollar question is, where in Northern NJ can we find these Cheese Butter Maamouls (with various fillings) ? The answer is

Yummy Bakery 353 Crooks Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011

Make sure you ask for Maamouls with Cheese Butter because they have regular Maamouls too. Many things at this place are exceptionally good. Slightly more expensive than the other bakeries in the area, but definitely worth...

Wow I was really impressed. I was visiting in town for the holidays, and I heard my cousin rave about a local mom and pop shop that makes the best assortment of pies, and pastries. So I knew I had to check it out. I read the reviews to see, and lots of people had great things to say, despite only one angry customer, I thought that isn't enough for me not to give them a chance. So I headed down there with a few of my cousins one evening and I gotta tell you I was skeptical at first, than I became a fan. It's an actual mom and pop shop, where the owners are an actual married couple who run the show backstage, while their adorable children maintain the service. I believe I ordered three of their signature yummy pies, one meat, on spinach with cheese, and one cheese. After the first bite.... I knew, this is now my go to spot every time I'm in town. Fast forward to later that day, where i was in the mood for a snack, and I remembered my cheese pie. I decided against microwaving it and it was the best decision of my life. It maintained its texture, the perfect amount of crisp of the dough and the flavor was to die for. I honestly couldn't believe how good it tasted. But the sad part about this is I'll only be able to come here once a few months when I'm visiting jersey, or if hopefully they take my advice to freeze them and distribute them around. That was my yummy experience, hope this helps next time you are in the mood for some...

The word pillow may appear a lot in this review. Some of the best darned pizza I have ever eaten. The dough is like a delicately cooked pillow inconsistency and literally melts on your tongue. The flavor combinations along with simple toppings like pepperoni and olives are absolutely delectable.

Sfiha (I think that is what it's called) is the alternative which is a long pita bread style item with various toppings including a very cheesy version as well as with Syrian spices and herbs. These cost $3.50 and again one is pretty darn satisfying but who can have just one of these bad boys...not me!

When you go there are pictures above the main counter where you place your order so you can really just point and moments later the deliciousness will appear warm and oh so scrumptious!

The prices are exceptional too. You get a very filling personal sized pizza for $7. One should satisfy almost any size appetite so makes for a really inexpensive lunch or dinner or brunch.

you cannot order from here without getting the dessert and I highly recommend Halawet el Jibn (sweet cheese rolls).

We typically don't order an entire complete set and ask them to give us half a dozen which costs about $6.50. they run about $13.50 per pound I'm worth...