PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — When chef Sufjan Boutorillis opened Sophie Corner Cafe last August, there was one thing he knew had to be on the menu. It’s his grandmother Limo’s Melosa Cookies.
The cookies are a customer favorite, and Sophie says she can’t believe he’s sharing the secrets of this family recipe.
These are hearty gluten-free walnut cookies, and according to Sophie, this recipe was a gift from her grandma to us.
“I made these cookies on the first day we opened, and everyone loved them,” Sophie says. “Everyone keeps asking for this recipe.”
Cuisine: Moroccan Melosa Walnut Cookies and Chicken Tagine from Sophie Corner Cafe
According to him, Grandma is very famous in Morocco for this cookie.
“Everyone loved to go to her house just to eat this cookie, but she would never tell me the recipe,” he says.
But I get it! And we’re very excited to make it happen.
Cookies are easy and quick to assemble.
First, add 4 eggs, then regular sugar, vanilla sugar, softened butter and apricot jam. Mix everything by hand.
“My grandmother used to do it with her hands,” Sophie explains. “She says this will make you love food more.”
Love, that’s the secret ingredient.
Next, add the star ingredient, chopped walnuts, to the cookie mixture.
“These are two pounds of walnuts,” Sophie says. “My grandmother is very generous. She never makes anything small. When she cooks, she makes food for the whole neighborhood.”
Next, add the almond flour and mix everything together. Roll into balls and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Flatten the shapes slightly and decorate each cookie with a walnut.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and let cool before serving. Sophie suggests having it with Moroccan mint tea.
Bringing his traditional Moroccan family recipes to Philadelphia
The love from his family is instilled in each handmade pastry, homemade bread, and traditional Moroccan dish that Sophie serves at the cafe.
“This all comes from my family,” Sophie says. “My father is a chef, my grandmother is a chef. I was born into a family of Moroccan chefs.”
Sophie calls her menu a combination of French and Moroccan cuisine.
He designed this authentically stylish space on Locust Street with a certain vibe in mind.
“When you come here, you feel like you’re at a friend’s house,” he says. “I’m just here for coffee. If you come, you’ll have an experience.”
That experience includes his famous tagine. It’s meat or fish cooked in a tagine, a Moroccan clay pot.
When we sat in his cafe and enjoyed a lemon chicken tagine together, the meal was a first for Sophie.
“This is my first time sitting at a table and eating,” he says. “I feel very happy.”
From her native Morocco to Paris to New York, Sophie says there’s something special about Philadelphia.
“When I came to Philadelphia, I felt at home. This is home,” he says.
If you stay long enough at Sophie’s cafe, you will truly learn about his Moroccan culture and customs.
“Everyone in Morocco eats with their hands,” he says.
First, disinfect it with jasmine water, then dig into it. It sells out quickly, so we recommend coming early with an empty stomach.
And you’ll feel like family when you leave.
“I’m so happy to share my food with you,” he says.
Moroccan style meluza walnut cookies recipe how to make
material:
- 2 pounds ground walnuts
- 14 grams vanilla sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon orange or apricot jam
direction:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground walnuts, eggs, vanilla sugar, baking powder, almond powder, butter, and jam.
3. Shape the mixture into small balls.
4. Roll each ball in powdered sugar until completely coated.
5. Place the sugar-dusted balls on a baking sheet.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
7. Let the cookies cool before serving.
enjoy!
chicken tagine recipe
material:
- 1 preserved lemon (chopped)
direction:
1. Heat a little oil in a large saucepan or tagine over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onions and fry until softened.
3. Add chicken thighs and fry until browned on both sides.
4. Add grapes, parsley, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and saffron to the pot.
5. Add the reserved lemon and stir.
6. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Do not add salt to preserved lemons as they are already salty.
Serve the chicken tagine hot.
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