Tcharak

Instructions

1. 1 Make the dough by combining flour and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter and 2 tablespoons orange blossom water, mixing until a smooth, pliable dough forms. It should not be sticky. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
2. 2 Prepare the almond filling by mixing ground almonds, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, cinnamon, egg white, and 2 tablespoons orange blossom water in a bowl until a firm, moldable paste forms. It should hold together when squeezed.
3. 3 Take walnut-sized pieces of almond paste and roll each into a small cylinder about 5cm long with tapered ends, forming a crescent shape. Prepare all the almond crescents before wrapping in dough.
4. 4 Pinch off slightly larger pieces of dough and flatten each into an oval about 3mm thick. Place an almond crescent in the center, fold the dough over, and seal the edges, maintaining the crescent shape. The dough should be thin and even.
5. 5 Place the formed crescents on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes until the dough is just set and barely golden. The cookies should not brown significantly.
6. 6 While still warm, briefly dip each cookie in orange blossom water, then roll immediately in powdered sugar, coating generously on all sides. The warmth of the cookies helps the sugar adhere.
7. 7 Let the coated cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Apply a second coating of powdered sugar once cooled for an extra-thick, snowy white exterior. Store in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper.