Moroccan Sellou (Sfouf) with Almonds and Sesame

La storia di questo piatto

Sellou, also called sfouf, belongs to the Maghreb, where toasted flour, almonds and sesame are gathered into a sweet that families have long set out for celebrations, new babies and the breaking of the fast. This version with almonds and sesame is a quiet keeper of that tradition, anise and cinnamon rising from it like a held breath.

Ingredienti

• 200 g Soft wheat flour
• 150 g Blanched almonds
• 90 g Sesame seeds
• 110 g Pure honey
• 40 g Icing sugar
• 140 g Clarified butter (ghee)
• 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Green aniseed
• 1 pinch Fine salt
• 1 tablespoon Orange blossom water

Preparazione

1. Place the flour in a wide, perfectly dry pan and toast it over medium-low heat, stirring non-stop with a wooden spoon: never stop, as flour burns in an instant if left alone. The colour will change slowly to an even golden hazelnut shade (not dark: if it turns deep brown it risks tasting bitter), and the kitchen will fill with the scent of toasted cereal, the true sign it is ready. Transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool slightly.
2. While the flour rests, toast the whole almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, moving them often, until they become fragrant and just start to darken at the edges. Set them aside on a plate to cool, keeping 8-10 whole ones for decoration. Turn off the heat, shake the pan to remove any almond residue and, over low heat, toast the sesame and then the green aniseed seeds, always moving them: it takes only moments, as they go from golden to burnt in a flash. Set aside 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame for decoration. Let everything cool, then finely chop the almonds (sandy grain, not flour) and lightly crush the remaining sesame and aniseed seeds in a mortar.
3. In a small saucepan melt the ghee over gentle heat (set aside about 10 g to grease your hands) and pour it onto the warm flour directly in the bowl, mixing calmly until it blends in without lumps. Add the honey, icing sugar, orange blossom water, cinnamon, crushed aniseed and salt, and mix until the mixture becomes soft, glossy and fragrant, yet remains crumbly. Taste a pinch: it should have a spiced character, not just sweetness.
4. Add the chopped almonds and sesame to the still-warm mixture and mix with firm but brief movements, until the crunchy elements are evenly distributed without compacting the dough too much. Shape it immediately while the mixture is warm and malleable: grease your hands with the reserved ghee, take the sellou and form it into a cone or dome on a plate, smoothing the surface with your oiled hands.
5. Decorate the top with the whole almonds and the reserved sesame set aside, then let the sellou rest at room temperature for about an hour, until it cools completely and firms up well, otherwise it will crumble when cut. Store it in a tightly sealed jar: it stays fragrant for up to two weeks. It is also known as sfouf or slilou.