Moroccan · Pastry

Kaab el Ghazal (Gazelle Horns Almond Crescents)

Kaab el ghazal — 'gazelle horns' — are Morocco's most elegant pastry: slender crescents of thin, tender dough curled around a fragrant almond paste scented with orange-blossom water and cinnamon. A signature of Fassi confectionery and every important celebration, they are pale, delicate and only lightly sweet, traditionally served with mint tea.

Prep: 75 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 95 min
Serves: 10
Level: Advanced

Kaab el Ghazal (Gazelle Horns Almond Crescents)

Ingredients

For the filling: 300 g ground almonds, 150 g icing sugar, 2 tbsp orange-blossom water, 1 tsp cinnamon, 30 g soft butter, a little gum arabic (optional)
For the dough: 250 g flour, 60 g soft butter, 1 tbsp orange-blossom water, pinch of salt, about 90 ml warm water
Extra orange-blossom water, for brushing

Method

1

Make the almond paste

Knead the ground almonds, icing sugar, orange-blossom water, cinnamon and butter into a smooth, firm paste. Roll into thin ropes about the thickness of a finger, tapered at the ends, and set aside.
2

Make the dough

Rub the butter into the flour and salt, add the orange-blossom water and enough warm water to make a smooth, elastic dough. Knead well — 10 minutes — until very supple, then rest 20 minutes. A well-worked dough is what lets you roll it paper-thin.
3

Roll thin

Roll the dough as thin as you possibly can, almost translucent. Lay the almond ropes along it, spaced apart.
4

Shape crescents

Fold the dough over the filling, press firmly around each rope to seal, then cut out with a wheel and curve each into a crescent, pinching the ends into points. Prick the tops with a pin so they don't burst.
5

Bake pale

Bake at 180°C for just 12–15 minutes — they should stay pale, barely coloured. Overbaking dries them and dulls the delicacy.
6

Finish

Brush the warm horns with a little orange-blossom water (and dust with icing sugar if you like). Cool before serving with mint tea.

Chef's tips

Bake them pale — gazelle horns are meant to be blond, not golden; colour means they are overdone and dry.
Roll the dough as thin as you dare; the elegance is in a barely-there wrapper around generous almond paste.
Prick each horn so trapped steam escapes and the filling doesn't split the seam.

Frequently asked questions

Why are they called gazelle horns?

The slender, tapered crescent shape resembles the curved horns of a gazelle — 'kaab el ghazal' means gazelle ankles or horns. They are a symbol of refined Moroccan pastry-making.

Can I use ready-made almond paste?

You can, but adjust the sweetness — many commercial pastes are sweeter than the Moroccan filling, which relies on orange-blossom water and cinnamon rather than heavy sugar.