Which water aromatizes the almond paste in gazelle ankles?

Which water aromatizes the almond paste in gazelle ankles? Orange blossom water. This fragrant distillation gives the almond filling its characteristic floral aroma and is a defining flavor in the Moroccan pastry known as kaab el ghazal.

Gazelle ankles are crescent-shaped cookies made from thin flour dough wrapped around a paste of ground almonds and sugar. The filling is commonly scented with orange blossom water and may also include cinnamon or butter. After baking, the pastry remains pale and delicately crisp rather than heavily browned.

The dessert belongs to the wider Maghrebi pastry tradition and is also known in French as cornes de gazelle, or “gazelle horns.” Its history is substantial: a version is mentioned in a 13th-century cookbook associated with Ibn Razin al-Tujibi, although the earlier form differed in shape and preparation.

Rose water is a plausible mix-up because it is also used in Middle Eastern and North African sweets. In Moroccan gazelle ankles, however, orange blossom water is the canonical floral seasoning for the almond paste.