๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algerian Almond Filled Glazed Cookies – Arayeche

Arayeche ( Arabic ุนุฑุงูŠุด ) are Algerian traditional cookies that are prepared for special occasions such as religious celebrations and weddings. They are served for tea or coffee.

There are so many Algerian cookies that are filled with almonds. The dough recipe may differ from one type of cookies to another.

These cookies are made with the same dough as Tcharek and K3ik3at ( well known cookies in Algeria). They are filled with almond paste and glazed with icing. The icing can be royal icing, powdered sugar icing or other.

Some people consider these cookies as starfish cookies ( French รฉtoile de mer) even if they only have 3 arms. I donโ€™t call them starfish cookies unless I give an explanation as to what happened to the other 2 arms ๐Ÿ˜Š!

Itโ€™s a lot of fun doing the final touches of these cookies. There are endless ways to decorate Arayeche but the most important is that they are soft and super delicious.

Please see video recipe here: https://youtu.be/5rAagcPBqpI

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algerian Almond Filled Glazed Cookies – Arayeche

Cuisine Algerian
Keyword Arayeche
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 14
Author LDSโ€™s Mom

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup orange blossom water
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
  • Water as needed

Filling

  • 1 1/2 cups ground almonds or almond flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
  • 1 tbsp (or 1/2 tbsp if you prefer) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 to 3 tbsp orange blossom water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)

Glaze

  • Around 3 cups powdered sugar ( more or less)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Water
  • Food coloring of your choice

Garnish

  • Metallic food coloring or edible dust (color of your choice)
  • Decorative flower bouquet for cookies

Instructions

  1. Sift the flour, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar.

  2. Add the butter and mix with your hands until the butter is well incorporated.

  3. Add orange blossom water and mix it well.

  4. Add water, one tablespoon at the time until the dough gets together and is soft. Make sure to not knead the dough.

  5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes on the counter.

  6. Prepare the filling by mixing the almond flour, sugar, vanilla powder, cinnamon and butter.

  7. Add orange blossom water, one tablespoon at the time until obtain a well gathered paste.

  8. Form small balls, the size of walnuts and cover with plastic wrap.

  9. Get back to the dough and form small balls the size of small tangerines.

  10. Cover the balls with plastic wrap.

  11. Take one ball at the time and roll it into a small thin disc (it doesnโ€™t have to be perfect).

  12. Place the almond filling in the center of the disc.

  13. Shape the filling into a triangle.

  14. Stretch the triangle with fingers toward each angle to form 3 arms ( just like a starfish without 2 of its arms).

  15. Fold the dough to cover each arm of the filling and make sure to seal the dough well.

  16. Turn the piece of cookie dough and use your 3 fingers (index, thumb and the middle) between each arm of the cookie dough.

  17. Using your other hand, slightly curve each arm clockwise or counter clockwise (which ever direction you prefer).

  18. Prick the Arayeche with a toothpick and place in a baking sheet.

  19. Bake in a 350ยฐF preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

  20. Let cool completely.

  21. Prepare the glaze or powdered sugar icing.

  22. Put the powdered sugar in a bowl, then add lemon juice and water 1 tablespoon at the time. Mix well until obtain a thick pourable and smooth glaze. Add food coloring of your choice and mix well.

  23. Dip the top of Arayeche or cookies in the glaze. Flip it over and put on a wire rack, placed on a cooking sheet to catch the excess glaze.

  24. Let slightly dry out for about 2 hours.

  25. Keep a small amount of glaze (about 1/2 cup) to be used later.

  26. Pour the 1/2 cup of glaze in a ziploc bag. Cut 1 end of the ziploc bag to get a very small hole.

  27. Once the glaze on the arayeche is slightly dry, decorate the cookies on top by piping out the remaining glaze (make your preferred shape). You can garnish with sugar roses and leaves at this step (so that they will stick to the cookies).

  28. Let the Arayeche cookies dry out completely for few hours, preferably overnight.

  29. Use a knife to clean out the cookies from excess glaze in the bottom and edges.

  30. Dust the cookies with the edible dust to get that glossy finish and place a decorative flower on each cookie( optional).

  31. Enjoy with tea or coffee.

Recipe Notes

  • If the powdered sugar glaze is too runny, add powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a small amount of water.
  • I use US cups for measurements in this recipe.
  • The total time in this recipe didnโ€™t include the doughโ€™s rest time and the time it took for the icing to dry.
  • You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder.
  • Garnish the Arayeche with decorative flowers after the icing dried out or garnish with sugar flowers or other edible garnishing right after you dip them in the glaze.

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algerian Sugar Coated Almond Filled Crescent Cookies – Tcharek Msaker


Tcharek ( Arabic ุชุดุงุฑุงูƒ ) means crescent and Msaker is the pronunciation of the Algerian Arabic word which means coated with sugar.

Tcharek Msaker are crescent coated with sugar. They are also called โ€œCornes de Gazelleโ€ in the French language ( English – Gazelleโ€™s horns).

Tcharek Msaker are Algerian traditional cookies that are prepared for special occasions such as religious celebrations and weddings. They are served for tea or coffee.

These cookies are made with the same dough as Arayeche and K3ik3at ( well known cookies in Algeria).

There is a variety of the Algerian crescents or Tcharek such as Tcharek El Aryan, Tcharak Mโ€™aassel and Tcharek Nekkache. I will be posting the recipes as soon as I get a chance.

Note that I had excess almond filling that I have used for another recipe. Please use 1/2 the ingredients for the filling to avoid having left over.

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algerian Sugar Coated Almond Filled Crescent Cookies – Tcharek Msaker

Cuisine Algerian
Keyword Tcharek Msaker, Cornes de gazelle
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 14
Author LDSโ€™s Mom

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup orange blossom water
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
  • Water as needed

Filling

  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 5 to 6 tbsp orange blossom water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)

Syrup

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange blossom water

Garnish

  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Sift the flour, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar.

  2. Add butter and mix with your hands until the butter is well incorporated.

  3. Add orange blossom water and mix it well.

  4. Add water, one tablespoon at the time until the dough gets together and is soft. Make sure to not knead the dough.

  5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minnutes on the counter.

  6. Prepare the filling by mixing the almond flour, sugar, vanilla powder, cinnamon and butter.

  7. Add orange blossom water, one tablespoon at the time until obtain a well gathered paste.

  8. Form small balls, the size of walnuts and cover with plastic wrap.

  9. Get back to the dough and form small balls, the size of small tangerines.

  10. Cover the balls of dough with plastic wrap.

  11. Take one ball of dough at the time and roll it into a small log with your hand.

  12. Use a rolling pin and roll out the log into a rectangle ( not perfect though).

  13. Roll a ball of filling paste into a thin log.

  14. Place it in one edge of the rectangle of dough.

  15. Roll the dough over the filling to make a log.

  16. Using your 2 hands, roll the log from the sides to make them thinner than the center.

  17. Form a crescent shape cookie dough.

  18. Continue forming the crescent shape cookies or Tcharek until you deplete all the dough.

  19. Prick the crescents or Tcharek with a toothpick in the bottom.

  20. Place in a baking sheet and bake in a 350ยฐF preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden from the bottom.

  21. Let cool completely.

  22. Prepare the syrup by putting water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the orange blossom water in the last 2 minutes. Let cool.

  23. Dip the Tcharek in the syrup and let the excess syrup drain.

  24. Place the Tcharak in a bowl of powdered sugar. Make sure it is well coated and smooth out the surface with hands.

  25. Sift powdered sugar on top to make the Tcharak or crescent cookies look nicer.

  26. Enjoy.

Recipe Notes

  • You can replace the syrup with just orange blossom water mixed with powdered sugar ( for each cup of orange blossom water, mix 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar).
  • I use US cups for measurements in this recipe.
  • The total time in this recipe didnโ€™t include the resting time of the dough.
  • I had excess almond filling that I have used for another recipe. Please use 1/2 the ingredients for the filling to avoid having left over.
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