Guardian Wrapped Challenge

 

Sarah and I were beside ourselves with joy when our luscious Gazelles Horns were published in the Guardian today.

 

They are adapted from a traditional Moroccan recipe and have an intriguing type of pastry which rolls out really thin and this crisp pastry is wrapped around a type of marzipan with a delicate hint of orange flower fragrance. They are exotically unusual and even more delicious served with hot mint tea for good friends who deserve a little more effort.      
Please try them xx
Cheers

Ruth and Sarah

 

                                       Gazelles’ Horns – Moroccan Pastries

These fabulous pastries are offered all over Morocco and after tasting one in a restaurant I had to make them. Malika my lovely Moroccan friend gave me clues but there were many blanks as the recipe was discussed with pursed fingers, tea glasses and pigeon French. Nevertheless it was a huge privilege to talk food and laugh.

 

Please note the one egg should be beaten and a tablespoon goes into the pastry and filling. Although not traditional you could glaze the pastries with the remaining egg.

 

Makes 26 Gazelles horns

Line 2 baking sheets.  Set oven on 180C, gas mark 4  

Pastry

250g flour

1 pinch salt

1 tablespoon icing sugar 

1 tablespoon free-range organic egg

25 ml melted butter or marg

1 tablespoon non flavoured oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grated zest 1 orange

60ml water

 

Filling

250g ground almonds

125g icing sugar

30ml non-flavoured oil

1 tablespoon egg

25 ml melted butter or margarine

1¼ teaspoons orange flower water

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

  Icing sugar to dust when warm

 

Pastry

Beat the one egg in a glass. Sieve the flour, salt and icing sugar in a large bowl, then add the liquid ingredients work together until a soft pastry is obtained. Wrap in cling film and chill it while you make the filling.

 

Filling

Combine all the ingredients and make a soft fragrant dough. Work it for a minute to bring out the flavourings. Form into small sausage shapes approximately 5cms centimetres by 2 cms making a slight curve and tapering the ends as if they are horn-shaped. Take the chilled pasty and form into walnut-sized balls. Roll out each ball quite thinly and wet with a little water.  Lay the sausage shape on the front of the shape and wrap the remaining pastry around the filling curving it to fit the filling in a gazelle’s horn. Cut around with a pastry cutter and place the finished horns on the baking sheets and bake for 25-30 minutes or until deliciously light brown. Serve warm or cold with mint tea or strong coffee.