How To Cook: |
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1. With a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut each filo sheet in half crosswise to make a dozen 8-by-12-inch rectangles. For each m'hannsha, brush the entire top of one filo rectangle lightly with melted butter, then fold the filo in half to make a two-layered rectangle 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. Brush again with melted butter.
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2. Spoon the almond paste into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch plain tip and pipe the paste along the 8-inch side of the rectangle about ½ inch from the eqge and to within about 1 inch of each end.
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3. Turn the edge of the filo over the almond paste and roll the rectangle into a tight cylinder, tucking in the ends as you proceed. Brush the cylinder with a little butter and shape it into a coil.
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4. When all of the m'hannsha have been filled and shaped, melt 2 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet.
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5. When the foam begins to subside, add 2 of the m'hannsha and brown them in the hot fat, turning them over gently with a wide metal spatula and regulating the heat so that they color richly and evenly without burning.
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6. Transfer the browned pastries to a plate and sprinkle them with a little of the sugar-and-cinnamon mixture. Brown the remaining m'hannsha in the same fashion, adding butter and oil to the skillet as needed. Serve the pastries warm or at room tempetature.
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