Gazelle's Horn Cookies

These popular curved, horn-shaped pastries are often known by their French name, cornets de gazelles, or their Arabic name, Kaab el Ghzal.

Ingredients:

Pastry
1 1/2 Cups flour, plus extra for dusting
2 TBSP sunflower oil
2/3 - 3/4 cup of Orange Blossom Water
Powdered sugar

Filling
2 Cups blanched almonds, ground
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon
2 TBSP Orange Blossom Water

FILLING:
Mix all the ingredients together, then knead to a paste; it will seem dry at first. As the warmth of your hands release the oil in the almonds, the mixture will soften and stick together. Set aside.

PASTRY:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking sheet.

Sift the flower in a bowl. Mix the oil and just enough Orange Blossom Water to make the dough soft. Knead until smooth and elastic.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough very thinly and cut into 3 inch wide strips. Roll pieces of filling (about the size of a walnut) into thin sausage shapes, approximately 3 inches long with tapering ends. Place lengthwise along the edge of the strips of dough, about 1 1/4 inches apart.

Dampen the edges of the dough with water and fold over to enclose the filling. Press the edges together to seal. Use a pastry or pasta cutter to cut around the humps of filling (or a sharp knife). Press the cut edges together to seal.

Carefully curve the pastries into crescent (horn) shapes and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly colored. While the baked cookies are still warm, dunk them in Orange Blossom Water, shaking off the excess water and roll them in powdered sugar.

Makes about 16.