This is one of the most attractive Moroccan sweets. It looks good and tastes sublime. The name means ‘snake’ because that’s what it looks like. The addition of Amarettu is definitely not a traditional Moroccan touch (Moroccan recipes don’t use alcohol for religious reasons) but it complements perfectly the almonds in the filling. This looks complicated but it’s very easy to make and is just right with a cup of coffee or some Amarettu at any time of day.
500g of ground almonds (I use Good Earth’s), 350g of caster sugar, the whites of two eggs, two teaspoonfuls of ground cinnamon, Amarettu, one packet of Theo’s filo pastry, 100ml of olive oil or 100g of butter (melted), the yolk of one egg, beaten with a drop of water.
Mix together the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and egg-whites, then add enough Amarettu to make stiff dough. Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C. Then open the packet of filo pastry, lift off the first sheet and brush it with olive oil (or melted butter). Take a piece of almond mix and roll this into a long thin rod. Put it on the longer edge of the oiled sheet of pastry, fold in the short sides and roll it up like a cigar. Then push inwards to crease up the pastry and curl it up like a coiled snake. Lay it on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking-paper. Do the same with the rest of the ingredients, then coil the rolls round each other so that you end up with one 26cm-diameter coiled ‘snake’ of pastry. Brush this with the egg-yolk beaten with a drop of water. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes or until it is golden, then serve it at room temperature dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, in a wheel-like pattern.