Kaak warka

Step 1: Mix 10 ½ oz ground blanched almonds and 7 oz icing sugar, then add 3 tbsp rose geranium water or rose water a spoonful at a time and knead into a smooth, firm paste that does not stick. Cover and set aside.

Step 2: Rub 14 oz plain flour, 5 ½ oz unsalted butter, 1 tbsp caster sugar and 1 pinch salt together with your fingertips until the mixture feels like damp sand. Add 2 tbsp rose geranium water or rose water and enough ½ cup cold water to bring it together into a smooth, soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Roll the almond paste into ropes the thickness of a pencil and cut them into 15 cm lengths.

Step 4: Divide the dough into four. On a very lightly floured surface roll one piece into a long strip about 2 mm thick and 6 cm wide. The common mistake is rolling it too thick; the warka (leaf) in the name means it should be thin enough to see the paste faintly through.

Step 5: Lay an almond rope along the strip, wrap the dough around it, press the seam closed and trim. Roll gently to seal, then bend into a ring and pinch the ends together. Repeat with the rest of the dough and paste.

Step 6: Heat the oven to 325°F (fan 275°F). Prick each ring a few times with a needle or pastry tweezers to make the traditional pattern, and lay them on lined trays.

Step 7: Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the pastry is set and dry and only the bases are pale gold; the tops should stay white.

Step 8: Cool on the trays, then dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar if you like. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.