Kaab el Ghzal

Gazelles’ Horns

The most popular pastries in Morocco, sold at street stalls and in patisseries, and, on festive occasions, made in enormous quantities by groups of women. The pastry shrinks around the filling during baking, allowing the filling to dominate.

MAKES ABOUT 28

PASTRY

300 g (10½ oz/2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 egg yolk

30 g (1 oz) butter, melted

2 tablespoons orange flower water

ALMOND FILLING

300 g (10½ oz/3 cups) ground almonds

90 g (3 oz/¾ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra to dust

1 tablespoon orange flower water

1 egg white, lightly beaten

30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon natural almond extract

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat the egg yolk into 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water and pour it into the flour with the butter and orange flower water. Mix to a soft dough, then knead in the bowl for 5 minutes to form a smooth, elastic dough. Divide into two pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.

To make the almond filling, mix all of the filling ingredients to a stiff paste. Shape 3 level teaspoons of filling into a ball. Shape the remaining filling into balls of the same size. Roll each ball between your palms into logs 7.5 cm (3 in) long, tapering at each end. Place on baking paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Thinly roll out one ball of the prepared dough on a lightly floured work surface, to a rectangle about 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), with the short side towards you. Place three almond shapes 5 cm (2 in) from the edge of the pastry closest to you, 2.5 cm (1 in) apart and half that from each end. Lightly brush the pastry along the edge and between the almond shapes with cold water. Lift and stretch the end of the pastry over the filling and press firmly around the filling to seal. Cut around the filling with a fluted pastry wheel, leaving a 1 cm (½ in) border around the filling. As each pastry is placed on the baking tray, bend it upwards on the filling side into a crescent. Using a cocktail pick, prick the tops of the pastries four times. Straighten the edge of the pastry with a knife and repeat until all the filling and pastry is used, including the trimmings.

Bake the pastries for 12–15 minutes, or until cooked but still pale. Transfer to a wire rack and dust with sifted icing sugar while hot. Store in an airtight container when cool.