Algiers is famous for its sweet almond cookies bathed in fragrant syrups.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- All-purpose flour – 300 grams
- Butter – 70 grams
- Water – 250 milliliters
- Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
Filling
- Ground almonds – 400 grams
- Powdered sugar – 200 grams
- Eggs – 2
- Lemon juice – 4 drops
Preparation
Dough:
- Mix flour with butter and water, knead until you get a smooth, uniform dough.
- Place the dough in a plastic bag, chill it in the refrigerator.
Filling:
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth, compact mass. Add lemon juice only to balance the sweetness.
Assembly:
- Roll out the dough very thinly and cut out shapes using cookie cutters. The size of the cutters should match the molds of your cupcake tray.
- Lightly grease the cupcake tray and sprinkle with a small amount of flour.
- Place the cut-out pieces of dough into the cupcake molds.
- Form balls the size of a walnut from the almond mixture and place them on the dough. Press the filling gently to fill the mold.
- Cut out smaller shapes from the remaining dough and place them on top of the almond mixture.
- Use a decorating tool to make indentations in the center and cuts on the sides.
- Bake the cookies at 175 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat honey with water or make syrup.
- Cook the syrup, water, and sugar for about 15 minutes, then add the vanilla extract.
- Dip the still hot cookies in the syrup, then set them aside on a rack to drain.
- Place a colorful sugar ball in the center of each cookie.
