Makrout a Louz - Algerian Almond Cakes #2
"Delicious little diamonds of tangy almond delight! Easy to make and very much appreciated by all. Perfect for Eid celebrations or any special (or not so special!) ocassion.
This is for the lemon ones - more traditionally they are lime....
You can freeze these and then put the syrup and icing sugar on later. I like to make a few things in advance so I'm not cooking 24/7 just before Eid etc. I also make these with a mix of 250g desiccated coconut + 100g ground almonds - just as tasty & a fraction of the cost!"
photo by Um Safia
- Ready In:
- 24mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Yields:
-
30-35 approx. diamond shape cakes
ingredients
-
For the makrout
- 3 cups ground almonds
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 lemons, zest of, finely grated
- 3 small medium eggs
-
To roll
- 3 tablespoons cornflour (maize or cornstarch)
-
To decorate
- 2 cups of light sugar syrup
- 2 1⁄2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
directions
- Place the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well - traditionally with your hand.
- Dust work top with a little cornflour and roll mixture into a sausage shape - approximately the thickness of a frankfurter or average thumb!
- Cut the sausage into 3cm pieces. Do this at an angle to create lozange or diamond shapes.
- Bake on middle shelf at approx 170c until set & still pale - about 12-14 minutes THEY SHOULD NOT BE DARK.
- When cooled slightly, drop one by one into the syrup. Hold on a fork and allow excess to dribble off before slowly dropping into the sugar. Re-dip with sugar 15 mins later and pop into paper cases.
- For the syrup you can make it easily by putting 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar in a pan and boiling for 10 minutes It needs to be nice and light - just enough to hold the icing sugar on.
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Reviews
-
A really yummy recipe that both my Algerian husband and I love. The first time I made this before he was my husband he was so excited and surprised to have an authentic Algerian sweet. I have since played with lime and coconut versions but this one is the best.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
ABOVE: My eldest, Talha with his 'Zaar Star!
I'm 29 years old and have been cooking since I was old enough to wield a wooden spoon! My Mum is a fantastic cook and both my Grandmas were great cooks too.
I've also had the pleasure of working in two commercial kitchens - one which I ran and the other I was second chef of.
You can find me lurking in the NA*ME (North Africa / Middle East) Forum where I am a host:
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=59
and also in the Cooking for Kids Forum where I am co-host:
http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=34
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I am fortunate enough to have 2 children of my own now and enjoy cooking with my eldest who is almost 8 years old. My daughter is almost 3 & has now started joining me in the kitchen & 'helping'. She likes to stand on a chair next to me, give instructions & stir.
We eat food from all over the world but my husband prefers it like 'mama used to make' or in his case ''like yemma makes it'' as he is Algerian! We are currently living in the UK after living in Algeria for a while. You will notice that I have posted quite a few Algerian classics.
If I had the time and the money, I would spend all day every day trying new recipes! My husband has a 'recipe score' which is this:
1: "Add it to your recipe book - I loved it and wanna eat this again soon!"
2: "Interesting....I will enjoy eating this again."
3: "I cleared my plate but don't expect me to eat this again...ever."
However, I rate 'Zaar recipes the by the 'Zaar standard, so don't worry. Oh and fyi, I have a problem being negative so will probably NEVER give a rating less that 4*!!!
Other than cooking, I love anything arty-crafty and enjoy painting when I get the chance, which is rarely these days. I used to sell a lot of my creations and do things to order but just don't have the time at the moment.
I have a passion for gardening almost as strong as that for cooking. I tend to have 90% of it in pots though as I can't bear to leave it behind when we move - therefore we don't have a lot of stuff that we'd like to have as it wouldn't like being confined to a pot! I take great pride in my garden and love the summer months (the few that we get in the UK) when we can eat outside... and being a typical man, my husband likes any excuse to get the BBQ going - enough said!
By the way; I'm on a mission to re-educate people about soaking cous cous for use in North African recipes.,,just so you all know....it is traditionally STEAMED & not soaked!
Most of the North African recipes I have have been taught to me by my mother in law, sisters in law etc. A few have come from very old cookbooks. It has taken me a long time to get the dishes into some kind of recipe form as basically we "eyeball" the majority of the ingredients. Bear with me whilst I try to get the rest of the recipes in order!...
On a personal note, I abhor the mistreatment of animals and have taken care of many abandoned or injured animals over the years. Similarily, I love to help children and that is why my husband and I are in the process of becoming foster carers.
I have a thing about being polite and having good manners - they don't cost anything after all. Something that bugs me is when you hold a door open for someone and they don't even acknowledge you or if you need to go through a door and they won't hold it for you but let it slap you in the face!
I think we should all smile more - myself included....
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