Mhancha: You will love this Moroccan crunchy treat!

This is a sweet Moroccan pastry that is shaped like a coiled snake. It has the most decadent crunchy texture on the outside and lovely almond filling, which makes it a drool-worthy dish for all kinds of gatherings.

Instructions

Dry roast the sliced almonds on low heat until golden in color. Grind or process the roasted almonds until coarse in texture. Transfer the ground almond in a bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, butter, and orange flower water to it.

Mix all the ingredients until well blended and a nice crumbly mixture is formed. Place one warqa sheet on a clean and dry surface or join 5 wonton sheets by brushing its edges with the beaten egg. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Spread half of the almond filling at one end of the sheet and then tightly roll the sheet to enclose the filling inside it. Now, coil the sheet roll and seal the outer end of the roll by brushing it with some egg before sticking it slightly under the coiled part. Repeat with the other sheet/s  and almond filling. Place the coiled mhanchas on the prepared tray and then brush it with some beaten egg.

Bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it turns golden brown in color. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with sliced almonds before serving!

Tips

Be very careful while handling the warqa/ phyllo/ wonton sheets as they are very delicate and tend to break easily. Crack open the egg carefully into the bowl so that no eggshells are accidentally added to it. You can also drizzle some honey over the baked and slightly cold mhanchas.

Nutritional information (per serving): 96 Calories, 6.4g Total fat (2.2g Saturated fat, 0.9g Polyunsaturated fat, 2.8g Monounsaturated fat), 25mg Cholesterol, 9mg Sodium, 49.3mg Potassium, 8g Total carbohydrates (0.8g Dietary fiber, 3.2g Sugars), 2.4g Protein