Moroccan Sellou Recipe (Sfouf)
Authentic sellou recipe (sfouf) made with toasted flour, almonds, sesame, butter, and warm spices. Perfect Moroccan Ramadan dessert that keeps for weeks.
Servings: 3 pounds
Equipment
- Large pan (for toasting flour)
- Baking tray
- Food processor or grinder
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or clean hands
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 4 cups toasted all-purpose flour 500 g
- 1 ½ cups toasted almonds ground into paste (225 g)
- 1 ½ cups toasted almonds finely chopped (225 g)
- ¾ cup toasted sesame seeds ground into paste (125 g)
- ¾ cup toasted sesame seeds finely chopped (125 g)
- 1 cup toasted sesame seeds whole (125 g)
- ¾ cup melted butter 170 g
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g (adjust to taste)
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground fennel seeds habbat hlawa
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground anise seeds nafaâ
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed mastic gum meska horra
- 1 small pinch salt
Instructions
- Toast the flour in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until golden and fragrant.
- Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
- Toast the almonds until golden and let them cool.
- Toast the sesame seeds until lightly golden and fragrant, then cool.
- Grind 1 ½ cups almonds into a smooth almond paste.
- Finely chop the remaining 1 ½ cups almonds.
- Grind ¾ cup sesame seeds into a smooth sesame paste.
- Finely chop ¾ cup sesame seeds.
- Keep 1 cup sesame seeds whole.
- In a large bowl, add the toasted flour.
- Add the almond paste, chopped almonds, sesame paste, chopped sesame, and whole sesame seeds.
- Add powdered sugar, fennel, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, mastic, and salt.
- Mix everything very well until fully combined.
- Slowly pour in the melted butter while mixing with your hands.
- Rub the mixture between your hands until it becomes soft, rich, and and you can shape it into a ball.
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
- Store in an airtight container and let it rest a few hours before serving.