Kaab el Ghazal

Kaab el ghazal are Moroccan celebration pastries whose name means “gazelle ankles” in Moroccan Arabic. This profile follows Moroccan cooking instructor Christine Benlafquih’s plain crescent version, without the optional sugared m’fenned finish.

Almond and butter give the pastry a mellow richness, while cinnamon warms the filling and orange flower water supplies its defining floral perfume. The sweetness stays concentrated in the almond centre rather than coating the outside.

Each piece is shaped into a slim, tapered crescent with a very thin pale shell. The exterior is delicate and just barely golden, enclosing a soft, fragrant almond paste rather than a hollow or cake-like centre.