Preparation method

Rye bread dough:

• Preheat oven to 180 C
• Dissolve treacle in 100ml hot water
• Top up to 600ml with lukewarm water
• Combine flours, yeast and salt in a large bowl
• Stir water into flour mixture
• Knead in the bowl until dough comes together, adding more water if too dry
• Dough should be sticky
• Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth
• Place in an oiled bowl, sprinkle over a little flour, cover with plastic wrap
• Leave to prove for 60 minutes or until doubled in size

Tagine base:

• Use any shallow, ovenproof bowl with a circumference of not more than 75cm
• Cover the upturned part of the bowl with tin foil, spray with Spray n Cook
• Place onto a lined baking tray dusted with flour
• Knock back the dough and work in the caraway seeds, divide into 2 pieces
• Roll out one piece into a large rectangle of about 30 x 50cm to just under 1cm thick
• Cut into long strips 1,5cm wide
• On a piece of baking paper, weave a lattice large enough to cover the bowl
• Flip lattice over the bowl and cut around outer edge to fit
• Plait another piece of dough to fit around the outer edge of the lattice
• Cover with a large plastic bag and prove for 10 minutes
• Brush with egg white and bake for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through

Tagine cone:

• Preheat oven to 180 C
• Make a cardboard cone with a circumference of 80cm
• Cover inside and outside with tin foil
• Use a glue of flour and water to stick into place
• Grease cone and place onto a greased and floured baking sheet
• Use any offcuts from the 1st piece of dough and combine with the 2nd piece
• Roll out dough to a rectangle of 40 x 60cm, just under 1cm thick
• Using a pizza cutter, cut into long strips 1cm wide
• Take 3 lengths of dough and plait to 40cm long. Make 2
• Place plaits around the base of cone onto the tin foil
• Make another 2 plaits, slightly shorter and place above the first plait
• Make sure the joins are in the same place, on opposite sides of the cone
• Continue plaiting and wrapping around and up the cone until the top
• Leave a 3cm gap from the peak of the cone
• Make 2 more plaits and place them to cover the joins on either side of the cone
• Cover with a large plastic bag and prove for 10 minutes
• Brush with egg white and bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through
• Cool, then remove from cone

Almond stars:

• Heat milk to lukewarm, stir in yeast
• Combine flour, sugar and egg in mixing bowl of electric mixer with dough hook
• Mix until a crumble texture
• With mixer on low, add the milk/yeast mixture
• Beat on low for 5 minutes
• Slowly add butter until all incorporated
• Beat until dough no longer sticks to the bowl and is smooth, 10 minutes
• Cover dough and leave to prove for 90 minutes or until doubled in size

Filling:

• Mix all ingredients, except almonds to a smooth paste

Almond stars:

• Pre-heat oven to 170 C
• Knock back dough and divide into 12 equal sized balls
• Work with 4 balls at a time, cover the rest
• Roll each ball out to a circle, 5mm thick
• Use a saucer (16cm) to make an imprint on one circle
• Spread 1 1/2 tsp of butter filling inside the circle
• Leave a 1cm border around the outer edge
• Sprinkle 0.5ml of almonds over butter
• Put the 2nd circle on top and repeat the layers leaving the top (4th) layer plain
• Use the plate as a guide
• Cut through the 4 layers of dough with a sharp knife into a neat circle
• Transfer to a greased and lined baking sheet
• Repeat with the other 8 balls of dough
• Place a 4cm cutter in the centre of one circle and make an imprint in the dough
• Repeat with the other 2 circles of dough
• With a sharp knife divide each circle into 16 equal pieces
• Cut up to the mark left by the cutter only - do not cut through the centre of the circle
• Take 2 pieces of dough, one in left hand and one in right hand
• Twist around twice, left hand anti-clockwise and right hand clockwise
• Pinch the outer edges together to form a rough point
• Repeat with all the pieces - this is an 8-pointed star
• Repeat with the other 2 circles of dough
• Cover loosely with a plastic bag and prove for 10-15 minutes
• Brush with egg white and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through
• Cool, then glaze with honey glaze and garnish with orange zest and almonds

Assembly:

• Place tagine base onto a serving platter, put almond stars inside and put the cone on top