Almond Rose Shortbread Cookies

24 cookies
1 hr

A ghriba is a Moroccan cookie that is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They're the most recognizable Moroccan cookie with their cracked surface and powdered sugar coating. Traditionally, they are often enjoyed with hot mint tea.


These would be a wonderful cookie to bring along to a Christmas cookie exchange or to add to your holiday cookie platter. I think they'd get Santa's approval too!


Originally, I wanted to make these with pistachios instead of almonds. After all, pistachio and rose is a classic flavor combo in Middle Eastern sweets. However, the price of pistachios scared me away. I think the almond and rose combo turned out absolutely lovely. However, if you prefer, you can make these with pistachios instead.

Almond Rose Shortbread Cookies
Recipe details
  • 24  cookies
  • Prep time: 45 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 1 hr
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Ingredients

  • 2¼ cup ground almond flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ½ tsp rose water
  • 3 tbsp powder sugar for coating
  • 24 blanched almonds (optional)
Instructions

Combine dry ingredients: almond flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.
In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients: butter, egg yolks and rose water.
Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients by hand.
Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put powder sugar into a small bowl.
Roll dough into balls each being about 1 heaping tablespoon's worth of dough. Roll each dough ball into the powder sugar to coat and very lightly compress.
Place on parchment lined baking sheet. For an optional garnish, decorate each cookie with a blanched almond. Bake for 12-15 minutes, cool until room temp on a baking wire rack before serving.
Better than Zest | Alex
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Comments
  • Where does one buy rose water?

    • Helen Helen on Oct 01, 2022

      Google "rose water substitute". Several options are suggested. I used one teaspoon lemon juice combined with 1/2 teaspoon sugar as my substitute. Other suggestions include vanilla extract or cinnamon.


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