5.0 from 3 votes
Samsa
Samsa is a Tunisian triangular-shaped almond-based pastry. After the almonds are toasted and ground, they are mixed with sugar, orange blossom water and cinnamon to make the filling.
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 30 pieces
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Tunisian , North African
Ingredients
- 3 cups almonds , blanched
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons orange blossom water (or geranium water, according to taste)
- 1 pinch ground clove
- 4 tablespoons butter . melted
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 20 heets brick dough
- vegetable oil (for frying)
For the syrup
- 1½ cup sugar
- Juice of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (or geranium water, same as the filling)
- 3 tablespoons liquid honey
For the decor
- ½ cup white sesame seeds toasted, (or finely crushed toasted pistachios)
Equipment
- Thermometer
Instructions
Syrup
- Pour the sugar into a saucepan and barely cover it with water.
- Add lemon juice and orange blossom (or geranium) water.
- Put on low heat and, and using a wooden spoon, stir once (not more), when the sugar comes to a boil.
- Simmer gently until reaching a temperature of 220 F / 105˚C (about 20 to 30 minutes).
- When the sugar reaches a temperature of 195 F (90˚C), incorporate the honey and stir the pan by holding it by the handle (do not stir with a spoon).
Cup of Yum
Filling
- Lightly roast the almonds and grind them to a powder.
- Mix almonds, ground clove, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.
- Sift the icing sugar over and mix well.
- Add the orange blossom water (or geranium water) and butter and knead until you obtain a homogenous paste.
- Take about a teaspoonful of the paste, and shape balls.
Folding
- Cut each round sheet of brik dough into two equal parts.
- Fold a half sheet, placing it in front of you vertically, the rounded side to the left.
- Fold the sheet on itself, with the rounded corner towards the right edge.
- Press a little along the fold.
- In the lower left corner, drop a ball of stuffing.
- Take the lower right corner and fold to the left.
- Gently take the formed triangle and fold it to the right along the fold.
- Take the triangle again and fold it to the right along the fold.
- Fold the top right corner down to form a point.
- Take the tip thus formed and return it under the fold of the sheet (like an envelope).
- Once the flap is fully folded, the triangle is formed.
Frying
- Heat a large deep saucepan with oil.
- Fry the samsas over medium heat, turning occasionally until golden brown.
- Take them out and place them on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Soak the samsas as they are still hot (but not piping hot) in the syrup. Then, place them on an oiled parchment paper to cool.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds or crushed pistachios.
- Wait until they are completely cool to store them in a metal or glass container. Keep them in a cool place.
Notes
- To get a nice golden color without burning, prepare raw carrot sticks and place one or two pieces in the oil. Regularly change the pieces of carrot while frying the samsas.
- You can freeze the samsas once cooled. The syrup can be refrigerated. Once out of the freezer, the samsas can be dipped into the warmed syrup.