Cornes de Gazelle

Directions
Preparation:1hour  ›  Cook:35min  ›  Extra time:30min  ›  Ready in:2hours5min 

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C. Spread the almonds on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Prepare the pastry while the almonds are roasting. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and butter then rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg, orange blossom water and oil then start kneading. If necessary, add a little water in order to shape the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Remove almonds from oven and let cool slightly. Place almonds in a food processor and grind until evenly fine. Gradually add the sugar, egg, cinnamon and orange blossom water, pulsing between each addition. Process until the mixture turns into a homogeneous almond paste.
4. Take portions of filling with greased hands, about 12 to 15g. Roll them into small logs with thin ends. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line a baking tray with baking paper (you can use the same baking paper used for the almonds).
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pastry to 2mm thick. Place a log of almond paste on an edge of pastry, fold the pastry over the filling to cover it completely, then seal the edges. Mould with your fingers into a crescent shape. Use a pastry cutter to cut around the crescent then transfer crescent to the prepared baking tray.
7. Place the tray in the oven, and allow the gazelle horns to bake evenly to a light golden colour, about 20 minutes. (Do not let the gazelle horns take too much colour.) Let cool slightly.
8. Heat the honey in a small saucepan. Add the orange blossom water and mix well. Dip the gazelle horns in the honey and place them on a serving dish. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios.

Cook's Note

The filling in this recipe has less sugar than usual, because the honey sweetens them further. If you decide to omit the honey, you can add 200g or 220g of sugar to the filling.