Snack · 80 min · moroccan

Mhanncha (Almond Snake Pastry)

Phyllo dough does the heavy lifting here, with almonds rounding it out. A Moroccan snack that takes 80 minutes, start to finish.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 0.75 lb Phyllo dough
• 2 cups Almonds
• 0.75 cup Sugar
• 1.5 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Orange blossom water
• 0.5 cup Butter
• 1 Egg
• 0.25 cup Honey
• 0.25 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Blanch and peel the almonds, then grind with the sugar, cinnamon, and orange blossom water into a smooth, pliable paste. It should hold together like firm marzipan.
2. Roll the paste into one long, even snake, about an inch thick. Even thickness means even baking — thin spots burn.
3. Lay out overlapping phyllo sheets brushed with butter into a long strip. Lay the almond snake along one edge and roll it up snugly in the pastry.
4. Coil the filled roll into a spiral in a buttered round pan, tucking the end underneath. Brush the whole coil generously with butter.
5. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden and crisp all over.
6. Brush with warm honey while hot and cool 15 minutes before slicing into wedges. Each slice shows the beautiful spiral of pastry around almond.

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