The m'chekla is an Algerian pastry that comes in different shapes and different designs. I have seen circles, rectangles, flowers and more. I wanted to change and make m'cheklas in the shape of "Aarayechs".
They were as pretty as they were good.
I found the recipe on Oum Lila's blog.
Source: Oum Lila
Ingredients:
The dough:
3 cups flour (600g)
1 cup butter (200g)
Water + orange flower water
Stuffing:
500 g ground almonds
250 g icing sugar
2 eggs (put one at a time and mix until you get a smooth dough, not sticky)
1 tablespoon vanilla (from Algeria)
Decoration:
Honey
Whole almonds
Egg white
Preparation:
The dough:
In a bowl, sift the flour and add the melted butter.
Rub flour and butter between your hands (I used my stand mixer), then add a mixture of water and orange blossom water until you get a smooth paste.
Let stand 15 minutes (I left it more than 15 minutes).
Prepare the stuffing by mixing all the dry ingredients (almonds, sifted icing sugar, vanilla) and break 2 eggs into a bowl.
Add the eggs slowly while stirring. The stuffing should be consistent but firm.
Take the dough and spread it with a rolling pin (not too thin) and cut your shapes.
Then spread the filling with the rolling pin and cut it with the same shapes.
Brush each dough shape with the egg white, then add the shape of the stuffing, brush the stuffing with the egg white and finish with the dough.
Put in the middle a whole almond.
With the nakach clamp of the nakach No. 1, pinch each piece of your pastry.
Continue until the dough and the filling are finished.
Edit (Oum Lila): I let the pastry rest before cooking them for over an hour. This is a precaution because I was afraid that it does not stick well during baking. I advise you to let it stand before cooking.
Place in a baking tray.
Bake in the oven in moderate heat, not more than 15 minutes, until they're just baked a little.
When they are ready, let them cool a bit and put them in warm honey. Then let drain.
Sprinkle glitter food (I did not do it).
Present them in decoration cups.
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