Cornes de Gazelle, Gazelle Horns, Gazelle Ankles, Kab el Ghazal
This kaab el ghazal recipe is the Moroccan gazelle horn: a fragrant almond paste, scented with orange blossom water and cinnamon, wrapped in paper-thin pastry and curved into a crescent. The pastries bake pale ivory, never brown, and are dusted with icing sugar. One serving is about 114 g, three pastries.
Kaab el ghazal, meaning gazelle's ankle or gazelle's horn, is one of Morocco's most elegant pastries, served at weddings, Eid celebrations and royal receptions. The crescent shape copies the curve of a gazelle's horn, and the filling is a fragrant almond paste scented with orange blossom water and cinnamon, wrapped in pastry rolled paper-thin. The pastries must rest before baking so the skin dries and holds its shape, and they are baked pale ivory, never brown — colour is considered a flaw. The recipe is also known across the Maghreb and southern Europe as cornes de gazelle.
Pairs well with: Mint tea, coffee & orange blossom
Provenance
Morocco
Moroccan Wedding Pastry
Middle Eastern
Time Dedication
1h 18m
60m prep • 18m cook
Batch Yield
8 Servings
537 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 114 g
Technical Skill
Intermediate
Medium (Shaped Crescents)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Inappropriate
Dinner
Inappropriate
Snack & Tea
Ideal Light Bite
Moroccan Wedding Pastry
Photo: 2kbfloppadisk, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Medium — about $1–2 per serving at home (USD)
A kaab el ghazal with a fragrant almond paste, orange blossom water and cinnamon, wrapped in paper-thin pastry and baked pale.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Almond Paste and Paper-Thin Dough
60 Mins • Mixing & Resting
Make the almond paste first and chill it while you knead the dough — cold paste shapes cleanly and will not ooze. Knead the dough until it is smooth and silky, then rest it for 30 minutes so it rolls paper-thin without springing back.
Maestro Tip: Roll the dough as thin as you can — about 1 mm, thin enough to faintly see your hand through it. Thick dough makes a heavy, bready horn.
15 Mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Pulse the ground almonds with the caster sugar and cinnamon in a food processor until evenly mixed. Add the melted butter, 30 ml of the orange blossom water and the lightly beaten egg white, and process until the mixture comes together into a smooth, pliable paste that holds its shape when pinched. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
The paste should be firm, not sticky — if it sticks to your fingers, add a spoonful more ground almonds.
Done when: A smooth, fragrant paste that holds a pinched shape without sticking.
15 Mins + 30 Mins Rest Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Rub the melted butter into the sifted flour, icing sugar and salt until the mixture looks like damp sand. Add the egg yolk and 45 ml of the orange blossom water, then add the warm water a little at a time, kneading for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and silky. Wrap tightly and rest for 30 minutes.
Knead the full 10 minutes — a well-kneaded dough rolls thin without tearing.
Done when: A smooth, elastic ball that springs back slowly when poked.
25 Mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Divide the chilled almond paste into 24 small logs, each about 8 cm long and 1 cm thick. Roll the dough out paper-thin, about 1 mm, and cut it into strips. Lay one almond log along the edge of a strip, roll the dough over it, press firmly to seal and to push out any air, then curve the filled strip into a crescent and pinch the tapered ends. Trim the edge with a pastry wheel or knife.
Press out every air bubble as you roll — trapped air makes the pastry burst in the oven.
Done when: 24 neat crescents with sealed edges and no air pockets.
18 Mins Oven at 175°C (350°F)
Set the crescents on parchment-lined trays and rest them uncovered for 30 minutes so the skin firms up. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 15–18 minutes, until the pastry is set and just barely pale golden — the horns should stay ivory, never brown.
Watch the colour closely in the last minutes — a browned gazelle horn has lost its delicate texture.
Done when: Set, pale ivory pastry with a firm base and no browning.
10 Mins Cooling, about 25°C (77°F)
Cool the pastries on the tray for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely. Dust generously with the sifted icing sugar just before serving.
Dust only when fully cool, or the sugar melts into the pastry and disappears.
Done when: Cool crescents with an even white dusting of sugar.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the kaab el ghazal cool, dusted with icing sugar, with mint tea or coffee. Some Moroccan families fill the same crescents with date paste instead of almond paste — the shape and the sugar dusting stay the same.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
537
kcal / serving
Protein
11g
Complete AA
Carbs
62g
Complex
Fats
29g
Healthy
| Energy | 537 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Fat | 29 g |
| Fibre | 5.1 g |
| Sugar | 27.7 g |
| Sodium | 202 mg |
| Energy | 471 kcal |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54.4 g |
| Fat | 25.2 g |
| Fibre | 4.5 g |
| Sugar | 24.3 g |
| Sodium | 178 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin E and magnesium (almonds), riboflavin (egg), calcium (almonds).
Almonds Bring Vitamin E
About 11.4 g of protein and a good share of vitamin E and magnesium per serving come from the 250 g of almonds.
Lasting Energy
Almonds, butter and sugar make three pastries an energy-rich snack that keeps well for days.
Orange Blossom Scent
Orange blossom water gives the pastries their signature floral scent with no added colour or flavouring.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Drinks
Mint Tea
Moroccan mint tea is the classic partner — its fresh, sweet mint cuts the richness of the almond paste.
Black Coffee
Strong black coffee balances the sweetness and the buttery pastry.
Sides
Fresh Orange Slices
Orange slices with a little cinnamon echo the orange blossom in the pastry and freshen the palate.
Full Menus
Moroccan Pastry Tray
Serve the horns with other Moroccan pastries — chebakia, briouates and sellou — for a celebration tray.
Complete menu
Kaab el ghazal with Moroccan mint tea, fresh orange slices and a tray of other Moroccan pastries.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Browning the Pastries
These pastries must stay pale ivory — browning means the delicate pastry has dried out and the almond paste has lost its moisture. Bake at 175°C (350°F) and watch them closely. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Skipping the Rest
Shaped crescents that go straight into the oven can burst or lose their shape — the 30-minute rest firms the skin so the horns hold their curve. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
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