DUBAI: If there’s one thing that the coronavirus pandemic has shown us, it is that in the midst of these dark days, you can still find a heartwarming sense of community, expressed through little acts of kindness.
In Paris, French-Moroccan pastry chef Sara Boukhaled, 27, has distributed more than 1,000 delicately handcrafted Middle Eastern treats to pressured health care workers.
Scroll down for a delicious recipe by pastry chef Sara Boukhaled
Thanks to efforts made by a small, all-women team at her contemporary Moroccan tearoom and pastry shop Maison Gazelle, Boukhaled was able to treat doctors and nurses to her signature creation, known as gazelle horns.
“If we say that the macaron is the specialty of France, then the gazelle horn is the specialty of Morocco,” Boukhaled told Arab News. “To me, the gazelle horn is the least sugary pastry of all Moroccan pastries — more elegant and it also has something more feminine. That’s why I picked it.”
The crescent-shaped cookies are traditionally filled with almond paste, perfumed with orange blossom water. (Supplied)
These crescent-like cookies are traditionally filled with almond paste, perfumed with orange blossom water. At Maison Gazelle, situated in the 11th arrondissement, the experimental Boukhaled has modernized the delicacy by adding candied lemon, hazelnuts and pistachios, among other flavorful ingredients in different collections.
After being encouraged by fellow chefs in the industry to reach out to hospitals, Boukhaled personally passed on numerous boxes of freshly made gazelle horns to three hospitals — two inside Paris, and one outside the city — in addition to one residential care home for the elderly, known as Ehpad.
On meeting the health care professionals, she recalled: “When I saw their faces, they were so happy. They were telling me, ‘You cannot imagine how a little gesture brings us a lot of joy and courage to continue and keep going’.”
Although the coronavirus has slowed down business for Maison Gazelle, it continues to operate online, where clients can explore and order products and Boukhaled also plans to deliver more batches of gazelle horns to medical facilities.
Recipe for ‘Baghrir’ pancakes
If you would like to whip up a stack of pancakes, why not try doing it the Moroccan way? At Maison Gazelle, another specialty is the ‘Baghrir’ pancake, which has a chewy, spongy texture. Served for breakfast or teatime, this staple of Moroccan cuisine is traditionally topped off with butter and honey. As you prepare, do not be alarmed if the surface of the pancake is filled with open little holes. It is supposed to look that way; after all, this pancake happens to also be known as the ‘1,000-hole crepe’. Below is the simple and quick recipe of the pancake, provided by Sara Boukhaled.
Ingredients:
250 grams of flour
250 grams of extra-fine semolina
650 grams of lukewarm water
1 small packet of baking powder
1 small packet of baking soda
1 spoon of orange blossom water
2 pinches of salt
Butter (as much as you desire)
Honey (as much as you desire)
Method:
1) Combine the dry ingredients (flour, semolina, salt, baking powder and soda) in a bowl.
2) Pour the lukewarm water and orange blossom water (for a more authentic taste, if available) to the dry mixture. Mix until the batter is well-aerated.
3) In a skillet, cook the batter in batches. Each pancake should be cooked on one side only. When you see small bubbles formed on the surface of the pancakes, they are ready to be lifted off the skillet.
4) Serve warm and add some melted butter and honey on top of the pancakes. Don’t forget your cup of Moroccan mint tea!
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