Arabic honey slice

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the almonds over a gentle heat until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the pistachios.
2. Put the honey in a saucepan with the citrus zests and slowly bring to a simmer.
3. Meanwhile, whiz the bread in a food processor to make coarse crumbs. Add the nuts to the hot honey, then the breadcrumbs. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes. It will look very unpromising to start with, and after a few minutes it will begin to come together in a solid mass and thicken to a stiff, almost glutinous paste. Keep stirring and turning, which will become increasingly hard work, until the 5 minutes is up. Then remove the pan from the heat and add the orange-flower water and aniseeds, stirring again to incorporate them into the mass.
4. Turn the mixture out onto on sheet of rice paper and pat it into a round disc about 20 cm in diameter. Cover with the second piece of rice paper and press down gently to about a finger’s width in height. You may find it easier to use a small jar or a rolling pin to roll the paste out to a smooth, even height. Neaten the edges with a sharp knife and allow to cool. Store in an airtight tin and slice off pieces to serve with coffee as a petit four.