For Dessert Moroccan Almond Cigars a Sweet Treat
Cakes & Cookies · Dessert · Provencal Recipes · Tasha Powell · TasteMoroccan 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.
Ingredients
- 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 seeds 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 orangeOptions: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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Glimpses of Marrakesh:
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