M’hencha
This Moroccan pastry is a very long coil (hence the name m’hencha, meaning “snake”) of fillo pastry filled with a ground-almond paste. It is stunning to look at and exquisite. I give very large quantities, because it is the thing to make for a grand occasion, but of course you can make it smaller and reduce the quantities. The flavor is better if you grind the blanched almonds yourself rather than use commercially ground ones.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 30-40
Ingredients
For the Filling
For the Pastry
To Garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Mix all the filling ingredients and work into a paste with your hands.
Step 2
Open out the sheets of fillo when you are ready to use them, and keep them in a pile so that they do not dry out. Brush the top one lightly with melted butter. Take lumps of the almond paste and roll into fingers about 3/4 inch thick. Place them end-to-end in a line all along one long edge of the top sheet of fillo, making 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.
Step 3
Lift the roll up carefully with both hands and place it in the middle of a sheet of parchment paper or a greased sheet of foil on the largest possible baking sheet. Very gently, curve the roll like a snail. To do so without tearing the fillo, you have to crease the pastry first like an accordion by pushing the ends of the roll gently towards the center with both hands.
Step 4
Do the same with the other sheets until all the filling is used up, rolling them up with the filling inside, curving the rolls, and placing them end to end to make one long tight coil.
Step 5
Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolks mixed with 2 teaspoons water and bake in a 350°F oven for 30–40 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.
Step 6
Serve cold, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and with lines of cinnamon in the shape of the spokes of a wheel. Cut the pastry as you would a cake, which will give you pieces of varying sizes. It is very rich, and some will only want a small piece.
Variation
Step 7
For a pistachio m’hencha, use ground pistachios instead of almonds. Although less common, this too is fabulous!
