Dziriat — delicate Algerian almond tarts with a thin pastry shell and rich orange-blossom almond filling, dipped in sugar syrup and topped with a pine nut.
Dziriat are delicate Algerian almond tarts with a paper-thin pastry shell cradling a fragrant filling of ground almonds, lemon and orange blossom. Dipped in citrus syrup and crowned with a pine nut, they're a jewel of the celebration table. They take patience — the almonds are toasted a day ahead — but the result is elegant, perfumed and utterly worth it.
Prep 90 min
Cook 25 min
Total 115 min
Hard
- 1 cup Water
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 pinch Salt
- 4 cups Almonds
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 Egg
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 2 tablespoons Orange Blossom Water
- Sprinkling Cornstarch
- To serve Pine Nuts
Video
Preparation
- Prepare the almonds the day before: bring 6 cups of water to the boil, remove from the heat, add the almonds, and soak for about 5 minutes, then drain and peel. Spread on baking sheets and bake at 200°F (95°C) until completely dry and toasted, which takes several hours — take care not to burn them.
- Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, reduce to low, and simmer until syrupy, about 30 to 40 minutes, then stir in the orange blossom water, remove from the heat, and set aside.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well, and pour in the oil, egg, ½ teaspoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon orange blossom water. Mix with your fingers to coarse crumbs, then gradually add warm water until soft and pliable. Divide into 4 portions, cover with a wet cloth, and set aside.
- Finely grind the almonds in a food processor. Measure 3 cups into a bowl and stir together with 1 cup sugar, the baking powder, vanilla, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons orange blossom water. Mix in three eggs one at a time, stirring constantly, until you have a sticky paste.
- Sprinkle cornstarch on the rolling surface and roll each portion of dough very thinly (1–2mm). Cut into 10cm circles, lightly dust with cornstarch, and fit cornstarch-side down into tart moulds, pressing onto the sides and base and trimming the rims. Fill each three-quarters full with the almond filling.
- Bake on the top shelf at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and firm. Remove from the moulds straight away, dip each tart in the sugar syrup while still hot, top with a pine nut, and place on a wire rack to drain.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Toast the soaked, peeled almonds low and slow until bone-dry; any residual moisture will make the filling heavy.
- Roll the pastry as thin as you possibly can — 1 to 2mm — for that signature delicate, lacy shell.
- Dip the tarts in syrup while both are still hot so the syrup soaks in rather than sitting on top.
- Dust your work surface and moulds with cornstarch rather than flour to keep the pastry pale and tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's strongly recommended. Fully dried, lightly toasted almonds give the filling the right texture and a richer flavour; damp ground almonds make it dense.
Look in Middle Eastern or North African grocers, or the baking aisle of larger supermarkets. It's essential to the authentic perfume of these tarts.
Small fluted tartlet tins or a mini-muffin tray work well. Just keep the pastry thin and the filling about three-quarters full.
Stored airtight at room temperature they keep for a week or more — the syrup helps preserve them and keeps the filling moist.
