Kaab el Ghazal

Kaab el Ghazal, 'gazelle horns,' are Morocco's most iconic teatime pastry — crescent-shaped cookies filled with spiced almond paste and barely dusted with icing sugar. They appear on every Moroccan table at Eid and during Ramadan.

Serves: 6 (makes about 24 cookies)

Ingredients

Pastry

• 250g (2 cups) plain flour
• 60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 2 tbsp (30ml) orange blossom water
• 3–4 tbsp (45–60ml) cold water
• Pinch of salt

Filling

• 300g (2¾ cups) blanched almonds, finely ground
• 130g (1 cup) icing sugar
• 2 tbsp (30ml) orange blossom water
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg white

Finish

• Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the filling: blend ground almonds, icing sugar, orange blossom water, cinnamon, and butter until a smooth paste forms. Roll into small logs 6cm (2.5 inches) long, slightly tapered at each end. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
2. Make the pastry: rub butter into flour until sand-like. Add orange blossom water and enough cold water to bring together into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Rest 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
4. Roll pastry very thin (2mm) on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rectangles 8 x 6cm (3 x 2.5 inches).
5. Brush the long edge of each rectangle with egg white. Place an almond log along that edge and roll up tightly, pinching each end into a point and curving gently into a crescent shape.
6. Place on baking sheets and bake 15–18 minutes until very pale — they should barely colour. Cool completely.
7. Dust generously with icing sugar before serving.

Cook's Notes: The pastry must be rolled very thin for the authentic crisp, melt-in-mouth texture. If it tears, simply patch gently — this does not affect the finished cookie.