Part 5 (1/2)

SERVES 4 6 large oranges1 tablespoon orange blossom water2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (optional)To decorate: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Peel the oranges, taking care to remove all the white pith. Cut into slices, remove any pips, and arrange in circles on a serving plate. Sprinkle with orange blossom water and confectioners' sugar, if using.

Just before serving, decorate with lines of ground cinnamon.

VARIATIONS Sprinkle with 1/3 cup walnuts, coa.r.s.ely chopped, and 8 dates, coa.r.s.ely chopped.

Replace 3 of the oranges with blood oranges.

ALMOND PASTRIES in in HONEY SYRUP HONEY SYRUP Briwat Bi Loz These exquisite pastries called ”the bride's fingers” feature in medieval Arab ma.n.u.scripts found in Baghdad, fried and sprinkled with syrup and chopped pistachios. In Morocco, they are made with the thin pastry called warka warka or or brick brick (see page (see page 29 29 ) and deep-fried. I prefer to make them with fillo and to bake them. For a large-size version of the pastries, I use a supermarket brand where the sheets are about ) and deep-fried. I prefer to make them with fillo and to bake them. For a large-size version of the pastries, I use a supermarket brand where the sheets are about 12 12 inches inches [.dotmath] [.dotmath] 7 7 inches. inches.I especially recommend you try the dainty little ”bride's fingers” (see Variation). I make them for parties and I keep some in a cookie tin to serve with coffee. They are great favorites in our family; my mother always made them and now my children make them, too.

MAKES ABOUT 14 PASTRIES pound clear honey cup water2 cups ground almonds to 2/3 cup superfine sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)2 tablespoons orange blossom water14 sheets of fillo5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) unsalted b.u.t.ter, melted Make the syrup by bringing the honey and water to the boil in a pan and simmering it for half a minute. Then let it cool.

Mix the ground almonds with the sugar, cinnamon, and orange blossom water. Open the package of fillo only when you are ready to make the pastries (see page 9). Keep them in a pile so that they do not dry out. Lightly brush the top one with melted b.u.t.ter.

Put a line of about 2 to 2 tablespoons of the almond mixture at one of the short ends of the rectangle, into a line about inch from the short and long edges. Roll up loosely into a fat cigar shape. Turn the ends in about one-third of the way along to trap

the filling, then continue to roll with the ends opened out. Continue with the remaining sheets of fillo.

Place the pastries on a baking sheet, brush them with melted b.u.t.ter, and bake them in an oven preheated to 300F for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp.

Turn each pastry, while still warm, very quickly in the syrup and arrange on a dish. Serve cold with the remaining syrup poured all over.

VARIATIONS Instead of the honey syrup, make a sugar syrup by simmering 1 cup water with 2 cups sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice for about 5 to 8 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, adding 1 tablespoon orange blossom water toward the end.

Instead of rolling the pastries in syrup, sprinkle them with confectioners' sugar. These keep very well for days in an airtight cookie tin.

For the dainty little ”bride's fingers,” cut sheets of fillo into narrow strips-they can measure from 3 to 4 inches wide and be about 12 inches long. You can use larger sheets cut into 3 or 4 strips. Use 1 heaped tablespoon of the filling for each roll. It makes about 28.

WALNUT PASTRIES in in HONEY SYRUP HONEY SYRUP Briwat Bi Joz Follow the recipe for Almond Pastries in Honey Syrup (page 127) but use the following filling.

Coa.r.s.ely grind 2 cups sh.e.l.led walnuts in the food processor. Add 1/3 cup sugar and the finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange and mix well.

Add 1 tablespoons orange blossom water to the syrup.

DATE ROLLS in in HONEY SYRUP HONEY SYRUP Briwat Bi Tamr Follow the recipe for Almond Pastries in Honey Syrup (see page 127), but use the following filling.

Use a moist variety of dates such as the Tunisian Deglet Nour or the Californian varieties. You will need about 11/3 pounds once they have been pitted. Blend them in the food processor, adding a little water, if necessary, by the tablespoon, to achieve a soft paste.

PASTRY CRESCENTS with with ALMOND FILLING ALMOND FILLING Kaab El Ghzal The most famous of Moroccan pastries are best known abroad by their French name, cornes de gazelle , or gazelle's horns. They are stuffed with ground almond paste and curved into horn-shaped crescents. They are ubiquitous wedding party fare. , or gazelle's horns. They are stuffed with ground almond paste and curved into horn-shaped crescents. They are ubiquitous wedding party fare.

MAKES 24 TO 26 CRESCENTS FOR THE PASTRY 31/3 cups all-purpose flour cup vegetable oil2 eggs, lightly beatenabout 6 tablespoons fresh orange juiceconfectioners' sugarFOR THE FILLING31/3 cups ground almonds1 cup superfine sugar1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beatengrated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon or orange2 to 3 drops of almond or vanilla essence For the pastry, mix the flour with the oil and the eggs very thoroughly. Bind with just enough orange juice to hold it together, adding it by the tablespoon, then knead into a soft, malleable dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Mix all the filling ingredients together and work with your hands into a soft paste. Divide the pastry dough into four for easy handling. Then roll it out into thin sheets on a clean surface (it does not need flouring because the dough is very oily and does not stick). Cut the sheets into 4-inch squares. Take a lump of almond paste and shape it into a thin, little sausage 3 inches long. Place it in the middle of a square, diagonally, on the bias, about inch from the corners. Lift the dough up over the filling (a wide-bladed knife helps to lift the dough) and roll up, then very gently curve the roll into a crescent. Pinch the dough to seal the openings at the end. Repeat, making crescents with the remaining dough and filling.

Arrange the crescents on oiled trays. Bake them in an oven preheated to 325F for 30 minutes. The crescents should not turn brown, but only just begin to color. When cool, dip them in plenty of confectioners' sugar so that they are entirely covered.

VARIATIONS Another way of making the crescents is to cut the pastry into rounds, place a line of filling on one half and fold the other half of the pastry over the filling to make a half-moon shape. Then pinch the edges together, trim some of the excess rounded edge, and curve the pastries slightly into crescents.

Instead of dusting with confectioners' sugar, dip the pastries in warmed honey mixed with a drop of water to make it runnier (see page 127).

ALMOND ”SNAKE”

M'hencha This splendid Moroccan pastry filled with a ground almond paste is a very long coil, hence the name m'hencha, m'hencha, meaning snake. It is stunning to look at and exquisite to eat. In Morocco, it is made with the pastry called meaning snake. It is stunning to look at and exquisite to eat. In Morocco, it is made with the pastry called warka warka or or brick brick (see page (see page 29 29 ). This is available vacuum-packed and frozen in North African stores, but turns out tough if it is baked and not fried. It is better to use fillo pastry. I give very large quant.i.ties because it is the kind of thing to make for a great festive occasion, but of course you can make it smaller and reduce the quant.i.ties accordingly. The finished ”snake” will be about ). This is available vacuum-packed and frozen in North African stores, but turns out tough if it is baked and not fried. It is better to use fillo pastry. I give very large quant.i.ties because it is the kind of thing to make for a great festive occasion, but of course you can make it smaller and reduce the quant.i.ties accordingly. The finished ”snake” will be about 14 14 inches in diameter. If your oven is not large enough to take it, you can make two small ones. You need large fillo sheets measuring about inches in diameter. If your oven is not large enough to take it, you can make two small ones. You need large fillo sheets measuring about 19 19 [.dotmath] [.dotmath] 12 12 inches (and if the fillo is frozen, you will need to allow inches (and if the fillo is frozen, you will need to allow 3 3 hours for it to defrost, see page hours for it to defrost, see page 9 9 ). ).

SERVES 30 TO 40 FOR THE FILLING7 cups ground almonds5 cups superfine sugar2 tablespoons ground cinnamonless than 1 cup orange blossom watera few drops almond essence (optional)FOR THE PASTRY1 pound fillo pastry2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted b.u.t.ter, melted2 egg yolks for glazingTo decorate: confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon Mix all the filling ingredients together and work them into a stiff paste with your hands. Use just enough orange blossom water to bind the paste. Put in less than you seem to require, as once you start kneading with your hands, the oil from the almonds will act as an extra bind.

Take the sheets of fillo out of the package only when you are ready to use them and keep them in a pile (so they do not dry out) with one of the longer sides facing you. Lightly brush the top sheet with melted b.u.t.ter. Take lumps of the almond paste and roll into ”fingers” about inch thick. On the top sheet, place the ”fingers” end to end in a line all along the long edge nearest to you, about inch from the edge, to make one long rod of paste. Roll the sheet of fillo up over the filling into a long, thin roll, tucking the ends in to stop the filling from oozing out.

Lift up the roll carefully with both hands and place it in the middle of a sheet of foil on the largest possible baking sheet or oven tray. Very gently curve the roll into a tight coil. To do so without tearing the fillo, you have to crease the pastry first like an accordion by pus.h.i.+ng the ends of the rolls gently toward the center with both hands.

Do the same with the other sheets until all the filling is used up, rolling them up with the filling inside, and placing one end to the open end of the coil, making it look like a coiled snake.

Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolks mixed with 2 teaspoons of water and bake in an oven preheated to 325F for 30 to 40 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.

Let the pastry cool before you slide it, with its sheet of foil, onto a very large serving platter or tray.

Serve cold, sprinkled with plenty of confectioners' sugar and with lines of cinnamon drawn on like the spokes of a wheel. Cut the pastry as you would a cake, in wedges of varying size. It is very rich and some will want only a small piece.

VARIATION For a pistachio m'hencha m'hencha, use ground pistachios instead of almonds and rose water instead of orange blossom water. Although less common, this, too, is fabulous!

ALMOND MACAROONS These are good to serve with coffee or tea.

MAKES ABOUT 20 MACAROONS 4 cups ground almonds cup superfine sugargrated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon2 to 3 drops almond essence1 large egg whiteconfectioners' sugar Put all the ingredients except the confectioners' sugar in the food processor and blend into a soft, malleable paste.

Put some confectioners' sugar on a small plate. Rub your hands with oil so that the almond paste does not stick to your hands. Take lumps of the paste the size of a large walnut and roll into b.a.l.l.s. Now press one side of each ball into the confectioners' sugar, flattening it a little, and place it on a b.u.t.tered baking sheet, sugared side up. Bake in an oven preheated to 400F for 15 minutes.

Let the macaroons cool before lifting them off the sheet. They will be lightly colored and crackled and soft inside.

DATES STUFFED with with ALMOND ALMOND or or PISTACHIO PASTE PISTACHIO PASTE Tmar Bi Loz In Morocco, this is the most popular sweetmeat. The almond stuffing is colored green to give the semblance of pistachios, which are considered more prestigious. Use slightly moist dates such as the Tunisian Deglet Nour or Californian varieties.2 cups ground almonds or pistachios cup superfine sugar2 to 3 tablespoons rose water or orange blossom water1 pound dates Mix the ground almonds or pistachios with the sugar, and add just enough rose or orange blossom water to bind them into a firm paste. Put in less than you seem to require, since once you start kneading with your hands, the oil from the almonds will act as an extra bind. Alternatively, you can start with blanched almonds or pistachios and blend all the ingredients except the dates to a paste in the food processor.

Make a slit on one side of each date with a pointed knife and pull out the pit. Take a small lump of almond or pistachio paste, pull the date open wide, press the paste in the opening, and close the date over it only slightly so that the filling is revealed generously.

SUGARED ORANGE SLICES Mrabbet Bortokal These orange slices can be served with coffee or tea, or as an improvised sweet at the end of a meal, accompanied by creme fraiche or thick heavy cream. They keep for weeks in the refrigerator so you can bring them out on different occasions. Choose oranges with thick skins, which must be unwaxed.

10 SERVINGS 2 pounds unwaxed oranges2 cups sugar Wash the oranges and cut them in thin slices, removing any pips.

Sprinkle the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pan with a little of the sugar. Arrange some of the orange slices on top so that they overlap slightly and sprinkle generously with more sugar. Make layers of orange slices, each sprinkled with sugar and finis.h.i.+ng with sugar.