Mchewek are an old Algerian pastry, similar to the French Petits Fours served with coffee or tea. These delicious and pleasant delicatessen are made with almond paste, then rolled into almond flakes. Simple to make and extremely delicate “en bouche”.

Mchewek in Arabic means thorny!

Ingredients:

• 300g of almond powder
• 100g of caster sugar
• 1/2 spoon of pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs (maybe more depending of the quality of your almond powder)
• 1 egg white
• Almond flakes
• Some candied cherries

Method:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, pour the almond powder and the sugar.
3. Mix with your fingers.
4. Add the pure vanilla extract and mix.
5. Finally add the eggs one by one until you obtain an almond paste (not sticky but workable).
6. In a small bowl whisk the egg white and set aside.
7. In a large plate add some almond flakes and set aside.
8. Preheat the oven to 170C degrees.
9. Roll small balls of 70 grams and proceed the same way for the rest of the paste.
10. Dip each ball into the egg white than into the almond flakes.
11. Proceed the same for all the almond paste balls.
12. Put them on the baking tray.
13. Add on top of each Mchewek one candied cherry.
14. Bake for 25 minutes or when the bottom is golden.
15. Remove from the oven and allow too cool.

Serve these sweet treats with tea or coffee. The texture is soft inside and crunchy on the outside.

Bonne dégustation, saha ftourkoum!