Aicha's Moroccan Pancakes & Macarons
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This week, in celebration of Pancake Day, Aicha shares two of her favourite Moroccan desserts: Msemen and Macrons.
Aicha was born and raised in a small town called Ben Slimane, between Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. She grew up with her parents and six siblings: four girls and three boys.
When I think of home, I always see the face of my mother. I even smell her ingredients. The parsley, coriander, garlic. The frying. You smell the mint tea. Moroccan mint is so strong so you really smell it. It's a hot country so the vegetables and herbs really have a strong smell. I can still smell it.
In such a big family, her mum worked incredibly hard and food was her way of showing love.
My mum used to wake up very early, make fresh bread and prepare breakfast for her 7 kids. I used to hear her chopping the veggies and it was like music to my ears. And of course, the smell of the freshly baked bread, the frying of the onions, garlic… I still still them when I think about her›.
At Diaspo, we also run private classes so you can learn dishes from Morocco, Malaysia and Martinique with your team
That’s where Aicha’s passion for cooking and food came from.
I was born into it. I never had my mum teach me, I naturally learnt by watching her in the kitchen. I make the same lamb as her, the same chicken with lemon, the same bread and the same “Moroccan” pancakes.”
In Moroccan culture, looking after family and friends is everything. The one thing Aicha misses most about Morocco is the hospitality of its people.
The door of people’s houses is always open. You are always welcome.
Once a month, our house would get filled by ladies that’d come to try mum’s cooking and have tea. Our home was not big, but they’d all sit, talk and enjoy the food.
To give you a taste of Moroccan culture, Aicha picked 3 of her favourite things:
To listen: "Yaka Jerhi " by Naima Samih
To read: "Women & Islam" by Fatima Mernissi (2002)
To watch: "L'Couple", the couple, by Amir Rouani (2013)
Msemen is a flaky Moroccan pancake, you can top with butter and honey. It was one of Aicha’s mum’s specialities and a dish she always ate after school.
Ingredients: (makes 10)
1kg flour (if possible use 800g white flour and 200g re-milled semolina)
600ml lukewarm water
1tsp salt
For folding and cooking the msemen:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Equipment:
Mixing bowl
Frying pan
Steps:
Make the dough by mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl, start adding the water bit by bit and mix to form the dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead but not sticky. If it gets sticky add flour a bit at a time.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes (you can also use a mixer with a hook for 6 minutes). The dough should be very smooth and elastic. Before starting the folding, flatten the dough ball until it becomes almost transparent.
Keep your hands, the dough and the work surface well oiled. Make sure you butter your dough very well during the folding - that’s what gives the msemen it’s flakiness.
Fold the dough into thirds. Fold one side of the dough into the center, fold the opposite side into the center to make a narrow strip of dough . Fold one end of the strip of dough to the center . Finish folding to make a square (like a wallet / envelope)
Take square of dough and pat it with your fingers to flatten it until the size doubles. Cook your msemen in a medium hot pan until golden brown, turning over several times
The msemen is served with butter, honey or jam. In Morocco, we mix butter with honey and we melt it in a pan then pour it on the msemen before serving it.
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Almonds are one of the main ingredients in Moroccan pastries, biscuits and cakes. The almond paste mixed with blossom water, butter and jam give the macaroons a beautiful gooey texture.
Ingredients (serves 4):
250 g ground almonds
60g caster sugar or icing sugar
1 tbsp apricot jam
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 tbsp blossom water or rose water with 1 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp plant butter
3 tbsp icing sugar for coating the cookies before baking them
Equipment:
Food processor
A bowl
Baking tray
Parchment paper
Spoon
A spatula
Steps:
In a food processor, add the ground almonds, sugar and blend for 30secs
Add the blossom water and blend again
Transfer the almond mixture to a bowl. Add the jam, butter and mix gently
Shape the dough into small balls with the palm of your hands.
Roll the almond balls in the icing sugar and put them in the baking tray
Bake for 10-12 minutes in a preheated oven 220C then when you put the macaroons, in turn, it down to 170C
Enjoy with mint tea and tag us @joindiaspo
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