Almond Serpent Cake

For the pastry:

Six sheets of phyllo dough 10"long
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg beaten with 2 tbs of water

Almond filling:

2 1/2 cups ground almond flour
1 cup confectioner sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp water
2 tbs orange flower water
1/2 cup butter

Combine almonds,sugar, cinnamon,water, orange flower water and soft butter.

Mix well until it becomes a paste, chill for 1 hour.

Separate the almond paste in to 12 equal balls, roll each ball into 5 inch long rolls.

Method

Spread out 2 sheets of phyllo dough overlapping by 1 1/2 inch, seal them with the melted butter. The sheet should be about 18 inches long.

Place 4 almond paste rolls in a row. 

Fold the phyllo dough over the almond paste and roll tightly to form one long roll. Carefully push and crinkle the roll to stop the skin from splitting when coiling.

Repeat with the rest of the phyllo dough.

Brush a baking sheet with melted butter.

Start to coil one of the almond rolls bending it very gently at the beginning of the coil. Continue to form the coil with the rest of the rolls sealing the long rolls together with the melted butter.

Brush the coil with the beaten egg and bake for 25-30 min or until golden brown at 350F.

To serve:

Cool first then dust with confectioner's sugar and decorate with fine lines of ground cinnamon.