Kaab el Ghzal
(Gazelle's Horns) Recipe

Origin: Morocco      Period: Traditional

These are classic North African pastries, also often known by their French name of cornes de gazelles that are named after their crescent shapes that resemble the horns of a gazelle.

Ingredients:

For the Pastry:
200g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil
160ml orange-flower water (approx)

For the Filling:
200g ground almonds
100g caster sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp orange flower water

Icing sugar, for dusting

Kaab el Ghzal
(Gazelle's Horns) Preparation:

Method:

Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. Mix in the oil with a fork then add just enough of the orange-flower water to bring the mixture together as a soft dough. Turn onto a work surface and knead until smooth and elastic then return to the bowl, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and knead to a stiff paste. This will take some time, as it's the warmth of your hands that helps release the oils from the almonds that actually binds the mixture together.

When ready turn the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface and roll out very thinly. Cut into long strips about 8cm deep. Meanwhile, tear-off walnut-sized pieces of the filling and roll with your hands in to sausage shapes about 8cm long. Place the almond sausages about 3cm apart along the length of the dough strips setting them about 1cm in.

Use a little water to moisten the ends of the tough. Take the far end of the pastry and fold over the almond rolls. Use your fingers to press down all the way around the almond fillings so that they sit up as humps in the pastry. Use a sharp knife to cut around the filling then press the edges down with the tines of a fork to seal.

Carefully curve the pastries into crescent shapes then transfer to a lightly-greased baking tray and set in an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly-golden. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and set aside to cool before serving.

Read: Recipe Articles and Reviews

More African recipes...

More North African recipes...

More recipes for breads, cakes and pastries...

More Traditional recipes...

More recipes for Cakes...

More recipes for Pies and Tarts...

More recipes for Nuts...

More Baking recipes...

Are any of the terms used here unfamiliar, do you want to translate from British to American cookery terms? If so then this Glossary of US and UK Cookery Terms will help you.

Need to convert any units on this site?

As a guide 1 US cup of flour = 4 1/2 oz = 140g (this applies to breadcrumbs, ground almonds etc
1 US cup of butter/margarine or sugar = 7 oz = 200g

For temperature conversions (Celsius, gas mark, Farenheit) go to the Temperature conversion page.
For mass conversions (grammes, cups, spoons, ounces etc) go to the Mass/Weight conversion page.
For temperature conversions (litres, cups, spoons, fluid ounces etc) go to the Volume conversion page.
You can also see more cookery terms and meanings as well as ingredient descriptions at the Cooks' glossary