About This Dish
Elegant triangular pastries filled with a fragrant almond paste and sealed in crispy warqa or phyllo dough, then fried and dipped in warm honey. Briouats are Morocco's answer to baklava but with a distinctly Moroccan character from the orange blossom water and cinnamon in the filling. They are a fixture at celebrations, weddings, and Ramadan iftar tables. The triangular folding technique is a skill every Moroccan cook learns, and the contrast between the shatteringly crisp pastry and the soft, sweet almond interior makes them irresistible.
Ingredients
- 300 g Blanched almonds, ground
- 10 Warqa or phyllo pastry sheets
- 100 g Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Orange blossom water
- 50 g Butter, melted
- 1 Egg yolk for binding
- 300 g Honey
- for deep frying Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- 1
Mix ground almonds, powdered sugar, cinnamon, orange blossom water, egg yolk, and melted butter into a paste.
- 2
Cut pastry sheets into strips about 8cm wide.
- 3
Place a spoonful of almond paste at one end of each strip.
- 4
Fold into triangles by folding corner to corner along the strip.
- 5
Seal the edge with a dab of egg white.
- 6
Deep fry at 170C (340F) until golden, about 2-3 minutes.
- 7
Drain briefly and dip immediately into warm honey.
- 8
Place on a rack to cool. Serve at room temperature.
Tips & Tricks
- Keep pastry sheets covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
- The almond paste should be firm enough to hold shape but moist enough to be creamy.
- Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature.
- These keep well for 3-4 days in an airtight container.