Orange apricot cookie
For my variation on the traditional makrout cookie from Algeria I used fresh orange juice and grated orange rind instead of orange blossom water. It is interesting to find that the different parts of a plant can give such different tastes and smells. The bittersweet perfume-like aroma of orange blossom water has little to do with the sweet, fresh fruity taste of orange juice. For this cookie I made a filling of apricot, orange rind, almond paste and nutmeg and rolled the cookie up in a spiral. This orange apricot cookie has a lighter, fresher taste than the original makrout cookie and will only get better if you keep it in a tightly sealed cookie tin.
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Orange apricot cookie
for about 20-25 cookies
for the dough and syrup
225 grams (1⅓ cups) semolina (fine or coarse for a more crunchy cookie)
45 grams (⅓ cups) flour
90 grams (⅛ stick) butter
about 90 milliliters (5 tbsp) orange juice + 4 tbs for the syrup
200 ml honey
for the filling
200 grams (1¼ cups) dried apricots
100 grams (½ cup) marzipan
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
20 grams (1½ tbsp) butter
grated rind of 1 unwaxed orange
Mix the semolina with the flour and a pinch of salt and melt the butter.
Mix the butter into the semolina mixture and leave to rest covered for about 1 hour.
Blend the apricots, marzipan, nutmeg, butter and orange rind into a paste in a food processor.
Roll out into a sheet of about 20 x 30 cm / 7 x 11 inches between two sheets of cling film.
Mix enough orange juice with the semolina mixture to form a smooth pliable dough.
Roll out into a sheet of about 20 x 30 cm / 7 x 11 inches between two sheets of cling film.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the sheet of apricot paste on top of the sheet of dough and roll up starting at the long side. Cut slices in a slight angle. Bake in the middle of the oven for 12-15 min. until light brown.
Meanwhile, heat the honey with the last 4 tbs orange juice and leave to boil ± 2 mins. Take the cookies from the oven and dip them in the hot honey while they are still warm. Leave to cool on a wire rack over a baking tray to catch the drips.
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