M'hanncha

Name: M'hanncha
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan Maghreb
Ingredients: 500g Blanched Almonds, finely ground; 200g Caster Sugar; 2 tbsp Orange Blossom Water; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 60g Unsalted Butter, softened; 11 sheets of Warqa, large, or phyllo pastry; 100g Unsalted Butter, melted, for brushing; 4 tbsp Honey; 1 tbsp Orange Blossom Water; Some Powdered Sugar, for dusting; Some Ground Cinnamon, for dusting

M'hanncha is a fragrant Moroccan “snake” pastry: a spiral of crisp warqa sheets filled with a sweet, orange-blossom-scented almond paste. It bakes to a golden, flaky coil that is finished with a warm honey glaze and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon — elegant, fragrant, and perfect for sharing.

M'hanncha is a fragrant Moroccan “snake” pastry: a spiral of crisp warqa sheets filled with a sweet, orange-blossom-scented almond... Show more

Traditional Moroccan Maghreb Recipe

Health Grade

D · Occasional

Rating

4.3

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

1,46 €

Calories

700 kcal

vegetarian

low sodium

holiday/special occasion

middle eastern

Method

Make filling

Pulse the blanched almonds in a food processor until very finely ground, then add the caster sugar, orange blossom water, ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter (softened). Process again, scraping down the bowl once or twice, until the mixture becomes a moist paste that clumps when squeezed and still has a little texture.

Preheat oven

Heat the oven to 180° C and set a rack in the middle so it’s ready for baking.

Shape the snake

Lay the warqa sheets on the counter and brush each one lightly with the melted butter, overlapping them slightly to make one long strip. Work through all 11 sheets, then spoon the almond filling in a thick rope along one long edge, leaving a small border, and roll it up tightly to enclose the filling. Coil the rope into a snug spiral on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tuck the end underneath, and brush the outside with the remaining melted butter.

Bake until golden

Bake the m'hanncha for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden, crisp, and set all the way through.

Warm the glaze

While the pastry bakes, warm the honey with the remaining orange blossom water in a small saucepan over low heat for about 3 minutes, just until it loosens into a glossy glaze.

Glaze and dust

As soon as the m'hanncha comes out of the oven, spoon or brush the warm glaze over the hot pastry so it sinks into the coils. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then finish with a generous shower of powdered sugar and a light dusting of ground cinnamon. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.