MAKROUT A LOUZ - ALGERIAN ALMOND CAKES

Makrout a Louz - Algerian Almond Cakes image

Provided by Um Safia

Categories Dessert

Time 50m

Yield 30-35 diamond shape cakes

Number Of Ingredients 7

3 cups ground almonds
1 cup granulated sugar
4 limes, zest of, finely grated
3 small medium eggs
3 tablespoons cornflour (maize or cornstarch)
2 cups of light sugar syrup
2 1/2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

Steps:

Place the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well - traditionally with your hand.
Dust work top with a little cornflour, seperate the dough into 1/4's and then roll mixture into a sausage shape - approximately the thickness of a frankfurter or average thumb!
Cut the sausage into 3cm pieces. Do this at an angle to create lozange or diamond shapes.
Bake on middle shelf at approx 170°C until set but still pale in colour. THEY SHOULD NOT BE golden.
When cooled slightly, drop one by one into the syrup. Hold on a fork and allow excess to dribble off before slowly dropping into the sugar.
Re-dip with sugar 5 mins later and pop into paper cases.
For the syrup you can make it easily by putting 2 cups of water, a halved lime and 1 cup of sugar in a pan and boiling for 10 minutes. It needs to be nice and light - just enough to hold the icing sugar on.