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.
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine North African
- 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
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.
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