About This Dish
A spectacular coiled pastry that resembles a snake, giving it the name m'hanncha (from the Arabic word for snake). A long tube of warqa or phyllo pastry is filled with almond paste perfumed with orange blossom water, then coiled into a tight spiral and baked until golden. The finished pastry is dusted with powdered sugar and decorated with cinnamon lines radiating from the center. M'hanncha is the centerpiece dessert at Moroccan celebrations and its dramatic spiral shape makes it one of the most photogenic pastries in the world. Cutting into it reveals beautiful almond swirls.
Ingredients
- 400 g Blanched almonds, finely ground
- 200 g Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Orange blossom water
- 2 Egg yolks
- 50 g Butter, melted
- 8 Warqa or phyllo pastry sheets
- 80 g Melted butter for brushing
- 1 Egg yolk for glaze
- as needed Powdered sugar and cinnamon for decoration
Instructions
- 1
Mix ground almonds, powdered sugar, cinnamon, orange blossom water, egg yolks, and melted butter.
- 2
Roll almond paste into long sausage-shaped logs.
- 3
Lay out pastry sheets overlapping. Brush with melted butter.
- 4
Place almond logs along the length of the pastry. Roll up tightly into a long tube.
- 5
Starting from one end, coil the tube into a tight spiral on a greased baking sheet.
- 6
Brush with egg yolk glaze.
- 7
Bake at 180C (350F) for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- 8
While still warm, dust generously with powdered sugar and draw cinnamon lines.
Tips & Tricks
- The pastry tube must be coiled tightly for the best spiral effect.
- If the tube cracks, patch with extra pastry — the sugar will hide it.
- Let cool 10 minutes before decorating so the sugar sticks but does not melt.