Wake and Bake
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[Photograph: Carrie Vasios]

These sweet coils are inspired by the traditional Moroccan pastry M'hanncha, or snake cake, in which phyllo pastry is stuffed with a spiced nut mixture. Here, almonds take center stage.

adapted from A World of Cake

About the author: Carrie Vasios is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios

About This Recipe

Yield: makes 3 coils, serving 6
Active time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Special equipment: food processor, pastry brush, baking sheet, parchment paper

Ingredients

  • For the Filling
  • 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  •  
  • For Assembly
  • 12 (12- by 17-inch) sheets phyllo dough
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Procedures

  1. For filling: In the bowl of a food processor, combine almonds and confectioners' sugar and pulse until a coarse meal. Add cinnamon, cardamom, egg yolk, vanilla, and butter and pulse until mixture is a paste. It doesn't have to be completely smooth though the almonds should be ground very fine. Cover paste with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  3. Lay one sheet of phyllo on prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter then fold in half lengthwise, creating a 6- by 8 1/2- inch rectangle. Brush phyllo with butter then cover half of another piece of phyllo, letting one side hang off the end. Brush top half of phyllo with butter, then fold over so that all pieces are neatly stacked on top of each other. Brush with butter. Repeat with two more pieces of phyllo.

  4. Divide dough into three equal parts. Roll one part into a 8 1/2-inch log. Lay log alongside phyllo then roll up, jelly roll style, to form a rope. Curl rope into a tight coil and brush with butter.

  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 twice more, creating two more coils. Bake coils until golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely then dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.