Moroccan cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Mhancha bel Rizz

A coiled pastry snake filled with cinnamon rice pudding and almonds, baked crisp in the oven.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 150 g round-grain rice
• 750 ml whole milk
• 100 g sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch salt
• 100 g ground almonds
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• 10 sheets warqa dough (or substitute phyllo dough)
• 80 g butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Bring the rice to a boil with the milk, sugar, cinnamon stick and salt, and cook over low heat for 30–35 min., stirring occasionally, into a thick rice pudding.
2. Remove the cinnamon stick, stir in the ground almonds and orange blossom water, and let the filling cool completely until firm enough to hold its shape.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) top/bottom heat and line a 28 cm round dish with parchment paper.
4. Lay out two overlapping dough sheets at a time, brush with melted butter, place the filling as a finger-thick log along the long edge, and roll up tightly into a rope.
5. Coil the ropes into a flat spiral in the dish starting from the center, brush with the beaten egg, and bake for 30–35 min. until the mhancha is deep golden brown and crisp.
6. Let the coil cool for 15 min., dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon, and serve lukewarm cut into pieces.