Briouats are iconic Moroccan sweet pastries featuring a rich almond filling wrapped in thin sheets of warka pastry, fried until golden, and soaked in honey.
Ingredients
- 300g blanched almonds
- 150g granulated sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1 pinch of gum arabic powder (optional)
- 1 packet warka pastry sheets or phyllo dough, cut into long strips
- 1 egg white (for sealing the pastry edges)
- 500ml vegetable oil for frying
- 250g warm honey infused with a splash of orange blossom water
Instructions
- Prepare the almond paste: Grind the blanched almonds and granulated sugar together in a food processor until fine and crumbly.
- Flavor the paste: Add the softened butter, ground cinnamon, orange blossom water, and gum arabic, kneading the mixture until it forms a pliable, cohesive paste.
- Shape into balls: Pinch off small portions of the almond paste and roll them into uniform marble-sized balls.
- Wrap the pastries: Place an almond ball at the edge of a strip of warka pastry, and fold the pastry repeatedly into tight triangles to encase the filling completely.
- Seal the edges: Brush the final flap of the pastry strip with egg white and tuck it securely into the folds to lock the triangle shape.
- Fry until golden: Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, frying the briouats in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
- Soak in honey: Immediately transfer the hot fried pastries directly into the warm honey bath, letting them soak for 5 minutes before draining on a wire rack.
