Equipment
Ingredients
Almond Cream
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 60 g caster sugar
- 60 g almond flour
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 5 ml orange blossom water
Fruit and Nut Filling
- 40 g dried apricots, finely diced
- 40 g medjool dates, pitted and finely diced
- 30 g raisins
- 40 g pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
- 40 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 g ground cinnamon
Assembly
- 150 g phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
- 80 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 10 g icing sugar, for dusting
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 366 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 32 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 103 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 61 mg
- Potassium
- 277 mg
- Calcium
- 51 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 44 mg
- Phosphorus
- 119 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 140 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 32 mcg
- Water
- 18 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. Mix in the egg, almond flour, and orange blossom water until you achieve a smooth, homogenous almond cream.
Using a sharp chef knife and cutting board, finely dice the apricots and dates. Roughly chop the pistachios and walnuts.
Fold the prepared dried fruits, chopped nuts, raisins, and ground cinnamon into the almond cream, ensuring the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Lay one sheet of phyllo dough flat on a clean surface and brush it lightly but thoroughly with the melted butter. Place a second sheet directly on top, brush with butter, and repeat with a third sheet. Cut this layered stack into four equal squares. Keep any unused phyllo covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out and crumbling.
Divide the fruit and nut filling into eight equal portions. Spoon one portion directly into the center of each layered phyllo square.
Carefully gather the four corners of each phyllo square, bringing them up over the filling. Twist the gathered dough gently at the top to seal the parcel, creating a ruffled purse shape. Brush the outside of the formed pies lightly with any remaining melted butter and place them spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even coloring.
Remove the baked pies from the oven and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. The filling will be extremely hot. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving warm or at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- When working with phyllo, do not drench the sheets. A very light, speckled brushing of melted butter is all that is required to achieve a crisp, flaky lamination between the layers.
- For an extra layer of crunch and flavor, you can sprinkle a fine dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon between the buttered phyllo layers before adding the filling.
- The almond cream acts as a binding agent that puffs slightly in the oven, securing the dried fruits and nuts so the filling does not leak out.
- To cut phyllo cleanly without dragging or tearing the delicate sheets, always use a very sharp chef knife and press straight down rather than sawing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent absorbing moisture.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked. Bake directly from frozen, adding 5-8 minutes to baking time.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 8-10 minutes to restore the crispness of the phyllo.
Troubleshooting
Phyllo dough cracks, splits, or crumbles while attempting to fold
Cause: The delicate dough dried out due to ambient air exposure
Fix: Use a smaller scrap of buttered phyllo as a patch over the tear; the layers will fuse together beautifully in the oven
Prevention: Always keep unused phyllo dough covered completely with a lightly damp, clean kitchen towel while working
Bottom of the pies are soggy or pale
Cause: Not enough heat reaching the base, or excess moisture in the filling
Fix: Return to the lowest rack of the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes to crisp the bottom
Prevention: Ensure your oven is fully preheated and bake on the middle or lower-middle rack
Cultural Context
These individual pastillas are a sweet, modernized nod to M'hancha (Moroccan snake pastry) and classic savory-sweet pastillas. They bring together the traditional Moroccan flavor profile of orange blossom, toasted nuts, and aromatic cinnamon, pairing it beautifully with French-influenced almond frangipane.
