Cookie monsters: do you know cornes de gazelle yet?
This popular Moroccan cookie is more than worth trying. Whether you call them cornes de gazelle, gazelle horns or ka’b al gazal: the wafer-thin pastry is filled with almond paste. What more could you want?
Cornes de gazelle originally come from Fez, one of Morocco’s largest and most densely populated cities. Cornes de gazelle are cookies made from wafer-thin pastry, filled with freshly made almond paste and flavoured with orange blossom water, which complements the flavour of the almond paste. Sometimes cinnamon or icing sugar is added as well.
Cornes de gazelle are normally eaten during special events such as weddings, large family celebrations and—the biggest celebration of all: Eid al-Fitr. But why shouldn’t you be able to eat them all the time? They’re so delicious!
How do you make cornes de gazelle yourself?
Making authentic cornes de gazelle requires a little patience, but the result is worth it. They are at their best when made with fresh, homemade almond paste. It is also recommended that you let the cookies rest for around fifteen to twenty hours before putting them in the oven. This recipe will help you make authentic cornes de gazelle.
Looking for variation? In southern Morocco, dates, figs or sometimes nuts are added to the filling. And in the north, they pour a generous amount of sugar syrup over them when they come out of the oven. Delicious!
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