Orass bi Loz

• 2 cups ground almonds
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 or 2 drops of almond extract (optional)
• About 3 tablespoons rose or orange-blossom water
• 12 blanched almonds or pistachio nuts to garnish (optional)
• Confectioners sugar to roll the balls in at the end

1. Mix the ground almonds and sugar in a bowl.
2. Add the almond extract if you wish (I prefer it without), and rose or orange-blossom water, and work well with your hands.
3. The mixture will seem dry at first, but the almonds will release enough oil to bind the mixture.
4. Knead to a soft doughy paste.
5. Shape into 1-inch balls (the size of large marbles) and roll in confectioners sugar.
6. Decorate each ball, if you like, with a split almond or pistachio stuck on top.
7. Instead of 1 cup superfine sugar, use 2 cups confectioners sugar.
8. Do the same recipe with ground pistachio nuts instead of almonds and stick a whole pistachio on the top.
9. These green balls are heavenly.
10. Stuff the almond balls with chopped pistachios.
11. This is really superb.
12. Make a little hole in each almond ball with your finger and fill it with chopped pistachios mixed with sugar.
13. Close the hole over the pistachios and shape into a ball again.
14. Roll the balls in confectioners sugar and place them in small paper cases.
15. Decorate the top of each ball with a whole or half pistachio which has been stripped of its thin skin to make its greenness apparent.
16. In Iraq, almond paste, colored yellow with moistened saffron powder, is flattened in a tray, cut into lozenges, and covered with gold-leaf paper.
17. Thus adorned, it is sent to friends by a brides family to celebrate her wedding.

ground almonds, sugar, almond, water, pistachio nuts, confectioners sugar

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/orass-bi-loz-373620 (may not work)