Dishes

Cookies & Pastries

Kaab el Ghzal

كعب الغزال

“Gazelle horns — the queen of Moroccan pastry.”

Kaab el Ghzal

The Story

Kaab el Ghzal (gazelle horns) are the most iconic Moroccan pastry — delicate crescent-shaped cookies made from a paper-thin dough filled with a fragrant almond paste perfumed with orange blossom water and cinnamon. They are served at every celebration, every tea ceremony, every family gathering. Their name comes from their curved shape, resembling the delicate horns of a gazelle. Biting into one is a ritual — the pastry shatters, the almond fills the mouth, the orange blossom lingers.

Origin: Fes, Morocco

Prep

1h

Cook

20 min

Serves

30 pieces

Difficulty

Hard

Ingredients

Serves 30 pieces

  • ground blanched almonds300 g
  • icing sugar150 g
  • orange blossom water1 tbsp
  • ground cinnamon1 tsp
  • butter, softened1 tbsp
  • plain flour (for dough)250 g
  • saltpinch
  • orange blossom water (for dough)2–3 tbsp
  • butter, melted (for dough)60 g
  • egg yolk1

The Recipe

  1. 1

    Make the filling: mix ground almonds, icing sugar, cinnamon, orange blossom water and softened butter until it forms a smooth, pliable paste. If too dry, add a few drops more orange blossom water.

  2. 2

    Make the dough: mix flour with salt, melted butter and egg yolk. Add orange blossom water, a tablespoon at a time, until a smooth, non-sticky dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes.

  3. 3

    Roll the dough paper-thin on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rectangles of about 8 x 5 cm.

  4. 4

    Roll the filling into thin cylinders (pencil-width), place at one edge of each rectangle, and roll up tightly. Pinch the ends and curve into a crescent shape.

  5. 5

    Prick each cookie a few times with a fork to prevent puffing.

  6. 6

    Bake at 180°C for 15–18 minutes until very pale gold — they should not brown.

  7. 7

    Cool completely before serving. Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired.

Chef's Tips

  • The dough must be rolled extremely thin — almost translucent. This is the skill that takes practice.
  • The filling must not be too wet or it will burst through the dough during baking.
  • Gazelle horns should be pale, not golden — pull them from the oven as soon as they lose their raw look.

Did You Know?

In Fes, professional pastry makers (halawiyat) have been making gazelle horns for centuries using the same almond paste recipe. Some families guard their specific ratios as closely as family secrets.

Find It In

FesMarrakechRabat

Pairs Well With

Mint TeaSellouFekkas
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Flavours

Kaab el Ghzal

كعب الغزال

“Gazelle horns — the queen of Moroccan pastry.”

Kaab el Ghzal

Prep 1h · Cook 20 min · Serves 30 pieces · Difficulty Hard · Origin: Fes, Morocco

Kaab el Ghzal (gazelle horns) are the most iconic Moroccan pastry — delicate crescent-shaped cookies made from a paper-thin dough filled with a fragrant almond paste perfumed with orange blossom water and cinnamon. They are served at every celebration, every tea ceremony, every family gathering. Their name comes from their curved shape, resembling the delicate horns of a gazelle. Biting into one is a ritual — the pastry shatters, the almond fills the mouth, the orange blossom lingers.

Ingredients · Serves 30 pieces

  • ground blanched almonds300 g
  • icing sugar150 g
  • orange blossom water1 tbsp
  • ground cinnamon1 tsp
  • butter, softened1 tbsp
  • plain flour (for dough)250 g
  • saltpinch
  • orange blossom water (for dough)2–3 tbsp
  • butter, melted (for dough)60 g
  • egg yolk1

The Recipe

  1. 1.Make the filling: mix ground almonds, icing sugar, cinnamon, orange blossom water and softened butter until it forms a smooth, pliable paste. If too dry, add a few drops more orange blossom water.
  2. 2.Make the dough: mix flour with salt, melted butter and egg yolk. Add orange blossom water, a tablespoon at a time, until a smooth, non-sticky dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes.
  3. 3.Roll the dough paper-thin on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rectangles of about 8 x 5 cm.
  4. 4.Roll the filling into thin cylinders (pencil-width), place at one edge of each rectangle, and roll up tightly. Pinch the ends and curve into a crescent shape.
  5. 5.Prick each cookie a few times with a fork to prevent puffing.
  6. 6.Bake at 180°C for 15–18 minutes until very pale gold — they should not brown.
  7. 7.Cool completely before serving. Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired.

Chef's Tips

  • The dough must be rolled extremely thin — almost translucent. This is the skill that takes practice.
  • The filling must not be too wet or it will burst through the dough during baking.
  • Gazelle horns should be pale, not golden — pull them from the oven as soon as they lose their raw look.
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