Tcharek ( Arabic تشاراك ) means crescent and Al Mankoosh means sculpted. So the littérale translation of Tcharek Al Mankoosh is the sculpted crescent.
These cookies are made with the same dough as Tcharek Msaker, Arayeche and K’ EK – AT ( well known cookies in Algeria).
Tcharek Al Mankoosh is made the exact same way as Tcharek Msaker (same shape). The only différence is that Tcharek Al Mankoosh is not coated with powdered sugar but it is sculpted with a special tool called Nekkache. It is drenched in sugar syrup. You can drizzle sugar syrup on top of the cookies instead of drenching them in syrup.
There is a variety of the Algerian crescents or Tcharek such as Tcharek Al Aryan, Tcharak Talya , Tcharek Msaker and Tcharek Al Mankoosh (this recipe).
Algerian Sculpted Almond Filled Crescent Cookies – Tcharek Al Mankoosh
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 or ground Almonds
- 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)
Instructions
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Sift the flour then add vanilla powder, salt and powdered sugar. Mix well.
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Add butter and mix with your hands until the butter is well incorporated.
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Add orange blossom water and mix it well.
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Add water, one tablespoon at the time until the dough gets together and is soft. Make sure to not knead the dough.
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Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minnutes on the counter.
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Prepare the filling by mixing the almond flour, sugar, vanilla powder, cinnamon and butter.
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Add orange blossom water, one tablespoon at the time until obtain a well gathered paste.
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Form small balls, the size of walnuts and cover with plastic wrap.
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Get back to the dough and form small balls, the size of small tangerines.
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Cover the balls of dough with plastic wrap.
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Take one ball of dough at the time and use a rolling pin to roll it out thinly into a circle or oval shape.
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Roll a ball of filling paste into a thin log.
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Place it in one edge of the circle or oval shaped rolled out dough.
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Roll the dough over the filling to make a log.
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Using your 2 hands, roll the log from the sides to make them thinner than the center.
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Form a crescent shape cookie dough.
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Continue forming the crescent shape cookies or Tcharek until you deplete all the dough.
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Use a special sculpting tool called Nekkache to sculpt the crescent cookie dough. You just need to pinch the crescent all over, please see video above. Make sure to dip the Nekkache tool in flour from time to time so that the dough won’t stick to it.
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Cover the sculpted crescents with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
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Place in a non stick baking sheet and bake in a 350°F preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden.
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Once you can handle the cookies (let cool for few minutes), dip the crescent cookies in sugar syrup or you can just drizzle sugar syrup on top. For my light homemade sugar syrup, please check the recipe link above.
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Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Another way to shape the crescent cookies is that you roll the ball of dough into a log, then just flatten it by hand into an oval shape. Put a filling log in the oval shaped dough, seat it then follow the steps to form a crescent.
- I have used a US cup as a measuring cup.
- You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla powder.