In Moroccan Arabic, mhencha comes from the word hench which means serpent, so in a way, mhencha means serpentined. This cute pastry consists of a delicious almond paste tucked in a filo sheet, then rolled to form a swirling snake and finally dipped in simmering honey.
This recipe makes 8 mini mhenchas.
Ingredients
For the Almond Paste:
- 250 gr blanched almonds
- 120 gr caster sugar
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 10 gr unsalted butter, softened
To Roll the Pastry:
- 8 sheets filo pastry, 20 x 30 cm (200 gr)
- 50 gr unsalted butter, melted
- 300 gr honey
- Groundnuts and freeze-dried berries for decoration (optional)
Tip: The key to making a successful mhencha is to not break your filo pastry. To avoid that, make sure to brush the filo sheet thoroughly with melted butter and not over-tighten the pastry the first time your roll it.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)
- Start with the almond paste, you will use it to fill the mhencha. Transfer the almonds and sugar to a nut grinder or a food processor and run until it becomes a moist paste. This will take a bit of time, about 5 minutes. Add in the orange blossom and butter and run again for a few seconds. Remove the paste and divide it into 8 equal parts. Shape each part into long tubes (approximately 30 cm) and cover with cling film.
- Place a filo sheet on a work surface and brush it with melted butter (keep the other ones covered with a cloth to avoid drying out). Take an almond paste tube, place it on the long side of a filo pastry and loosely roll up the sheet. Don’t be tempted to over-tighten the pastry when rolling it because it will break during the baking process. Cover the rolled almond paste with more melted butter and roll it up to form a snug coil. Place the mhencha onto a lined baking sheet and repeat until you’ve used all the almond paste and filo sheets. Transfer in the warm oven until they are baked and lightly golden, about 15 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Avoid burning the honey by controlling the heat, once it’s foamy, you should reduce the heat.
- Once the pastries are baked, immediately transfer to the simmering honey and soak for 2 minutes. You will have to do this in batches as all the pastries won’t fit in the pan.
- Remove to a flat dish to cool before serving. Decorate with ground nuts and/or freeze-dried berries if desired.
Preparation time: 25 Minutes.