M'hanncha (Snake Cake)

Name: M'hanncha (Snake Cake)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 59 milliliters sliced almonds; 1 teaspoons cinnamon; 59 milliliters confectioners sugar; 2 egg yolks, beaten; 0 teaspoons ground cardamom; 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 Tbsp orange juice; 1 Tbsp grated orange zest; 1 Tbsp orange-flower water; 177 milliliters (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 Tbsp water

M'hanncha (Snake Cake) is a gluten free and vegetarian dessert. This recipe covers 5% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 6. One serving contains 285 calories, 3g of protein, and 28g of fat. A mixture of almonds, ground cardamom, confectioners' sugar, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so tasty. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes.

Instructions

Combine the almonds, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a food processor or blender and pulse to grind into a coarse meal.

Ingredients you will need

Powdered Sugar

Cardamom

Cinnamon

Almonds

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Blender

Add the butter and egg yolks and pulse until blended. Scrape the paste into a bowl, and stir in the orange-flower water, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Divide the paste into 12 balls, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Orange Flower Water

Orange Juice

Orange Zest

Egg Yolk

Vanilla

Butter

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Set the balls on a work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Ingredients you will need

Powdered Sugar

Roll each one into a 3 1/2-inch-long log. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Roll

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a large baking sheet. Dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar.

Ingredients you will need

Powdered Sugar

Butter

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Place a sheet of phyllo pastry on the sugared work surface, and fold it in thirds to form a 4- by 17-inch rectangle.

Ingredients you will need

Filo Pastry

Brush the sheet with melted butter.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Add another folded phyllo sheet, brush with butter, and repeat, until you have four buttered sheets.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Set four orange-almond paste logs in a row down one long end of the phyllo, and roll the pastry up over them into a cylinder. Fold over the ends and brush on some melted butter to seal the seams. Shape the cylinder into a small, tight coil and place on the baking sheet, seam side down.

Ingredients you will need

Almond Paste

Butter

Orange

Roll

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Repeat to prepare two more phyllo rolls.

Ingredients you will need

Roll

Add each to the end of the coil on the baking sheet, forming a large coil.

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Combine the egg yolks, water, and cinnamon.

Ingredients you will need

Egg Yolk

Cinnamon

Water

Brush the mixture over the top of the cake.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove the cake from the oven, and let cool on the baking sheet.

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Oven

Stir together the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon.

Ingredients you will need

Powdered Sugar

Cinnamon

Sprinkle on the cake, and top with sliced almonds.

Ingredients you will need

Sliced Almonds

Date-Lime Snake Cake

Ingredients you will need

Dates

Lime

For the paste, reduce the almonds to 1 1/2 cups, add 1 1/2 cups chopped dates, and replace the orange juice and zest with lime juice and zest.Individual Snake Cakes

Ingredients you will need

Orange Juice

Lime Juice

Almonds

Dates

Cut the folded phyllo sheets into 4- by 10-inch pieces, and stack and butter as directed.

Ingredients you will need

Filo Pastry

Butter

Place one almond paste log on top of each stack, roll into a cylinder, and shape into a small coil.Walnut-Lemon Snake Cake

Ingredients you will need

Almond Paste

Walnuts

Lemon

Roll

For the paste, replace the almonds with walnuts, replace the orange juice and zest with lemon juice and zest, and add 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom.

Ingredients you will need

Cardamom Powder

Orange Juice

Lemon Juice

Almonds

Walnuts

Excerpted from A World of Cake: 150 Recipes for Sweet Traditions from Cultures Near and Far by Krystina Castella. © 2010 by Krystina Castella. Published by Storey Publishing. Photography © Renee Anjanette Photography, used with permission from Storey Publishing.