Moroccan pastry questions

[etalanian]

I posted this in pastry the other day, and realized that it probably belonged here.

I just returned from a vacation in Morocco, during which I picked up a Moroccan pastry cookbook. There are many things I'd like to make. I have these questions:

Is feuilles d'ouarka the same as filo pastry?

I love the pastillas. Can I use filo pastry to make these instead of feuilles de pastilla, which I have no idea, nor any inclination, to make from scratch?

What is the measurement of a sachet of baking powder?

What is the measurement of a sachet of vanilla sugar?

What is the name of those flat, square pastries that are cooked on a griddle on the streets? I've seen them make them by stretching out the dough, spreading it with butter or oil, and folding it before cooking it on both sides. But I need to know the name so I can see if it is in this cookbook that I bought.

Thanks SO MUCH to anyone who answers these questions! I am anxious to make some of the delicious things I ate while in Morocco.

Best,

Eileen

edited for typo correction

Edited June 1, 2006 by etalanian (log)

[Adam Balic]

I would guess that feuilles d'ouarka is "Warka", which isn't very similar to phyllo. It is made in a different manner and has different cooking properties. You can sub phyllo, but have to change the recipe slightly (warka is more moisture resistant the Phyllo).

Warka

[fou de Bassan]

You can use filo as a sub for ouarka. Check out Paula Wolfert's book on the cooking of Morrocco. It is an excellent resource. And, she has wonderful recipes! Depending on the brand you might have anywhere from one to two teaspoons in the baking powder sachets. Start with the least amount. I can't say for the vanilla sugar, sorry.

Good luck

[ludja]

...

What is the measurement of a sachet of vanilla sugar?

...

←

The sachets of vanilla sugar I've seen in Europe seem to contain about 1 Tablespoon or so. I think they are usually added in addition to the 'bulk sugar" of the recipe needed for sweetening in order provide the vanilla flavor. So--depending on how the vanilla sugar is used in the recipe you may be able to substitute some vanilla flavoring or homemade vanilla sugar.

Vanilla sugar packets are usually available in some ethnic markets such as those focusing on German or Polish products.

[sanrensho]

Vanilla sugar packets are usually available in some ethnic markets such as those focusing on German or Polish products.

Here's a link to the Dr. Oetker product page, which makes the type of products that Ludja is referring to.

http://www.oetker.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/oe...ination=page_35

According to the site:

Sachet of baking powder = 5 tsp (20 ml)

Sachet of vanilla sugar = Equivalent to 1-2 tsp vanilla extract (doesn't indicate the sachet volume)

[StevenC]

Ouarka is slightly thicker and has a more glutinous texture than phyllo. I suppose that phyllo would make an acceptable substitute for ouarka if you bake b'stilla in a pan, although the phyllo will not hold up as well to the moisture. If you fry the b'stilla or make any other fried pastries for which ouarka is traditionally used, however, phyllo doesn't give the same effect at all. Fried phyllo is delicate and brittle; fried ouarka has a certain firmness and resistance from its more obvious gluten texture.

Kalustyan's in New York stocks, or used to stock, packages of ouarka leaves in their backroom cooler. So, if you're ever in the area...

On the other hand, if you ever have the inclination to make them for yourself, bonne chance! I once stood for half an hour watching a man make ouarka right inside the Bab Boujeloud in Fez. It seemed so easy--take a handful of springy, moist dough; bounce it around the top of the griddle until you've formed a large circle; wait a few seconds and lift up a perfectly round sheet of translucent ouarka. So, back home in New York I tried to follow Paula Wolfert's instructions to the letter. I bought the right flour. I prepared the dough. I heated the special upside-down ouarka griddle I bought in Morocco. I said an Inshallah. It was a total disaster, each time I tried. The dough would be too dry or too wet. It wouldn't cling to the griddle, or it would stick to the surface and burn. I suppose with enough patience I might have succeeded, but patience is not one of my virtues.

(By the way, a similar process is used to make Asian wrappers, as shown in a scene towards the end of Ang Lee's film Eat Drink Man Woman.)