* 8-10 sheets of brick pastry
* 120 g butter, softened
* 120 g confectioners’ sugar plus more for dusting
* 120 g almond meal or finely ground almonds
* 2 eggs
* 60 g flour
* 25 g blanched pistachios, roughly chopped
* 25 g candied orange peel
* Zest of an organic orange
* Zest of an organic lemon
* 2 teaspoons orange blossom water, optional
*150 g water or melted butter, for brushing
* Honey, to taste
* Cream sugar and butter until pale and fluffy (the butter needs to have been left at room temperature until soft to the touch, not melted).
* Beat the eggs in. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles, it will come together as you incorporate the flour and the almond meal.
* Combine grated orange and lemon zest, candied orange peel, pistachios and orange blossom water.
* Transfer the cream into a piping bag or a plastic bag with one of the bottom corners cut off.
* Take a sheet of brick pastry and brush lightly with water to moisten. If using phyllo or lumpia wrappers, brush with melted butter.
*Squeeze two cylinders of almond cream (about 50 grams) in lower middle part of the wrapper, fold into two, tuck in edges, and roll into a cigar. Take one of the ends and coil to form a “snake”. Continue with the rest.
*Tie each one with a piece of food grade string or, better yet, enfold it in a pastry ring to hold the shape and prevent from opening.
* Place rolls on a tray and bake in a fan oven at 180°C, or 200°C in a coventional one, for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp and golden.
* Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with more chopped pistachios, candied orange peel and icing sugar.

Best served warm with some hot mint tea. Any way you choose to eat it, you’ll find it hard to resist this snake! Happy Lunar Year!

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