Amlou

At my first breakfast in Marrakech, we were served a banquet of food. But, it was this side dip that looked the most unfamiliar to me. As a chef, I can almost pinpoint all foods Mediterranean but this one fooled me. Along side this dip, came orange juice, mint tea, coffee, fruit, omelettes, and some square-looking pancake. We needed some instruction but we were honestly so hungry that we started digging into the baskets of hot "pancakes" ripping them and dipping them into the sauces.

Those sauces/dips were- honey, olive oil, and amlou.

What is amlou?

This sticky sweet mixture of three local ingredients in Morocco- almonds, argan oil, and honey, make for the best dip for msemmen, or Moroccan pancakes. It's easy to make, and substitutes for your honey-peanut butter dip. Use it for pancakes, or as a spread on toast or fresh bread. It's full of nutritious vitamin E which makes it great for your hair, skin, and nails. 

Be sure to buy Argan oil that is for culinary or food purposes, not just hair. This ensures the quality is more pure and edible.

Women grinding argan beans to make argan oil

For more recipes and stories, check out my new cookbook "Stories from Morocco: a food and travel memoir" now available through Kindle. 

Ingredients (Makes about 1 ½ cups):

• ¾ cup almonds, skin on
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup argan oil

1. Roast almond for a couple minutes in a pan, or in the oven just until you start to smell lightly toasted almonds. Then, grind in a food processor or blender. 
2. Fold in the argan oil and the honey with a whisk until the mixture comes together. 
3. Serve on the side for msemmen pancakes. It is used as a dipping sauce for pancakes or toasts. Keeps well in the fridge for up to a month or so. 

Notes: It is more like a liquid than a paste-like consistency. 

Read more

• My first breakfast in Morocco
• Msemmen Pancake recipe