For Dessert Moroccan Almond Cigars a Sweet Treat

Moroccan Almond Cigars or Cigares Marocains aux Amandes (in French) are crunchy, sticky, sweet and delicious! We made them at a recent Pitcher & Powell cooking and yoga adventure in Marrakech. We dedicated an entire class to making Moroccan desserts, and it was like a Christmas cookie exchange in North Africa. Even the self-professed “non-bakers” got into the sticky fun.

Traditional Moroccan pastries are based on a few key ingredients:  nuts, citrus zest, dried fruits, sesame seeds, scented waters such as orange blossom or rose blossom and honey syrup. Here is my video to demonstrate the technique:

Moroccan Almond Cigars

These pastries can be made a day in advance as they are a bit time-consuming. If you get in the groove of making the almond paste, rolling the cigars, frying and dipping in honey – you will be done before you know it.

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine North African

Servings 40 pieces

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 20 Phyllo sheets also known as brick pastry
• 3 cups (680g) Ground Almonds or Almond Flour
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (113g) Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup (118ml) orange blossom water for almond paste
• 1 Egg white
• 1 Orange for the zest
• 8 oz (236ml) Honey warmed in a pan to dip fried cigars
• 4 oz (118ml) Water
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water for honey syrup
• 3 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seed to garnish
• 6 oz (177ml) melted butter for almond paste and phyllo
• vegetable oil (Sunflower or Canola) for frying

Instructions

 

Make the Almond Paste:

• In a large bowl, make the almond paste by mixing together the ground almonds, 1/3 of the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.
• Add the orange blossom water gradually until the mixture becomes soft.
• Lay flat a sheet of phyllo (brick), cut into 3 ribbons of 3 inches (7.6 cm) x 14 inches (35 cm).
• Place a small amount of the almond mixture on one side of the sheet.
• Before rolling, brush the middle of the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Brush the other sides with egg white.
• Fold the sides of the sheet over the ground almond mixture and roll very tightly into a cigar shape; press firmly with the seam down.

Finish the Almond Cigars:

• Heat the sunflower or vegetable oil in a large pan.
• When the oil is hot, fry the cigars for about 1.5 minutes on each side or until they become golden brown in colour.
• Transfer the cigars to a pan of warm honey syrup (2 parts honey (8oz)/one part water (4 oz) and 2 tablespoons of Orange Blossom water) and spoon over each cigar.
• Remove the cigars from the pan and sprinkle on the top and sides with toasted sesame seeds.
• Let the cigars cool before serving.

Notes

Equipment required: Frying pans, tongs, spatula, pastry brush, a microplane for zesting the orange

Options:

Use 1½ cup of almond flour and 1 ½ cups of hazelnut flour for a nuttier taste (nut paste will be brown instead of a very light brown if you use only almond flour).

For a different shape, fold the phyllo dough in a triangular shape (called a briwat or briouat).

For an alternative flavour profile, use rose water instead of orange blossom water.

Keyword Almonds, Dessert, Phyllo

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Glimpses of Marrakesh: