Makes 6 to 8 servings

Moist, not too sweet, just slightly exotic with the almonds and the orange flower water, this makes a perfect breakfast treat, though it is actually a traditional North African dessert. Cut it into diamond shapes and serve it accompanied by dried and fresh fruits and a steaming bowl of lightly sweetened mint tea or coffee.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (300 g) almond flour
• 2½ cups (200 g) fresh bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons ne sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 large eggs
• Seeds from 2 vanilla beans ¾ cup (150 g) vanilla sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange flower water
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a 9-inch square (22.5-cm square) cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together the almond flour, bread crumbs, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
3. Place the eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until they are thoroughly broken up. They don’t need to be foamy or thick.
4. Add the vanilla seeds and sugar and whisk until thoroughly combined.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and mix just until all are combined.
6. Fold in the orange flower water and melted butter, then pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake until golden and firm, 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. When the cake has cooled slightly, cut it into 1½-inch (4-cm) diamonds, let it cool entirely, then serve.

Note: To remove the seeds from a vanilla bean, slit it down its length
and, using a small spoon, scrape the moist black seeds from the
interior of the bean. Save the bean for another use.
If you cannot find almond flour (though it is readily available at
grocery stores and at bobsredmill.com), simply grind almonds in a
food processor with a pinch of sugar, until they are a fine powder.
To make vanilla sugar, put 8 cups sugar in an airtight container
with 2 vanilla beans and let it sit for 1 week. You may continue to use
the same vanilla beans for up to 4 months.