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m'Hencha (Almond Snake Coil)
Serves 8-10 Prep 45 min Cook 35 min Total 1 hr 20 min Type Dessert Origin Moroccan

m'Hencha (Almond Snake Coil)

Morocco's snake-coil dessert: warka pastry filled with cinnamon almond paste, rolled into a long cylinder and coiled tight into a spiral. Baked golden.

Serves 8 Prep 45 minutes Cook 35 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Almond paste: ground almonds, icing sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, orange-flower water, mixes to a soft pliable paste. Rolls into long ropes 1 cm thick. Warka sheets lay flat, almond ropes line one long edge, sheet rolls into a long thin cylinder. Several cylinders form (typically 4-6). Brushes with egg-yolk wash. Starting at the centre of a buttered round tin, the first cylinder coils tightly; subsequent cylinders join end-to-end with a brush of water, continuing the coil outward until the tin is filled. Top brushes with butter; bakes at 180°C 35 minutes till deep gold. Dusts with icing sugar in a crisscross pattern, with lines of cinnamon between.

Ingredients

Almond filling

  • 400 g ground almonds
  • 200 g icing sugar
  • 80 g unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons orange-flower water
  • 1 egg yolk (large)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • A pinch of salt

Pastry

  • 12 sheets warka (or filo pastry, large rounds preferred; rectangles work - cut to ~30 × 25 cm)
  • 80 g unsalted butter (melted, for brushing)

Eggwash

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water

Garnish

  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Stage 1 - Almond paste

  1. In a wide bowl, combine ground almonds, icing sugar, salt, cinnamon, melted butter, orange-flower water, honey and egg yolk.
  2. Mix until the mixture comes together as a soft pliable paste.
  3. Divide into 6 equal portions; roll each into a rope 35 cm long, 1 ½ cm thick.

Stage 2 - Cylinder assembly

  1. Lay a warka or filo sheet flat (use 2 stacked thin filo sheets if substituting; warka is naturally a bit thicker).
  2. Brush the upper third with melted butter.
  3. Place an almond rope along the bottom edge of the sheet.
  4. Fold the bottom edge of the sheet up over the rope; brush with butter; continue rolling tightly upward to form a long thin cylinder.
  5. The cylinder should be about 35 cm long; the almond paste enclosed by 2-3 turns of pastry.

Stage 3 - Coil in the tin

  1. Brush a 25 cm round springform or shallow round baking tin with melted butter.
  2. Starting at the centre of the tin, coil the first cylinder into a tight spiral.
  3. Brush the end of the first cylinder with water; join the start of the second cylinder; continue coiling outward.
  4. Continue until all cylinders are joined and the spiral fills the tin (a small gap at the very edge is fine - the pastry expands).

Stage 4 - Glaze

  1. Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water.
  2. Brush generously over the whole spiral surface.

Stage 5 - Bake

  1. Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 30-35 minutes until deep gold and crisp.
  2. If the surface browns too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Stage 6 - Cool and dust

  1. Cool 20 minutes in the tin.
  2. Carefully unmould onto a serving plate.
  3. Dust generously with icing sugar.
  4. Using a paper template or carefully with a small sieve, dust lines of ground cinnamon across the top in a lattice / crisscross pattern.

Stage 7 - Serve

  1. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife.
  2. Serve at room temperature with mint tea.

Notes

  • Coil tight, don't leave gaps: as the m'hencha bakes the cylinders expand slightly. Loose coils give an uneven spiral with bare patches. Tight is the goal.
  • Join cylinders cleanly: a quick brush of water at the join is enough; press to seal. Sloppy joins separate during baking.
  • Don't slice while hot: cuts beautifully cool; cuts to a mess hot. Patience.
  • The cinnamon lattice is the visual signature: use a stencil or a paper-strip template for clean lines.

Storage

  • Keeps 5 days at room temperature in a sealed container.
  • The pastry softens slightly over time; rebake briefly (5 min at 160°C) to re-crisp if desired.
  • Freezes 2 months pre-dusted; thaw at room temperature; re-dust with icing sugar before serving.

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