AI-generated image
Almond ghriba
Chewy almond cookies
Crackled, chewy Moroccan almond cookies with lemon zest and icing sugar
Ghriba are the crinkle-topped cookies that fill Moroccan biscuit trays for Eid, weddings and guests dropping by for tea; the almond version, ghriba bel louz, is especially loved in Fez and Tétouan. The dough is just ground almonds, sugar, egg and lemon zest, rolled in icing sugar so the top cracks into white rivers as it bakes. They are naturally gluten free, crisp at the edge and soft and chewy inside. Chef's tip: take them out when the cracks have formed but the centres still feel soft; they firm up as they cool, and overbaked ghriba turn hard.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 9 oz ground almonds
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powdergluten-free
- 1 tsp lemon zestfinely grated
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 egglarge
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 2 ⅞ oz icing sugarfor rolling
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Step 2: Mix 9 oz ground almonds, 4 oz caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp lemon zest and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon in a bowl. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp orange blossom water and mix with your hand until it forms a soft, slightly sticky paste.
Step 3: With wet hands roll walnut-sized balls (about 20 g). Roll each generously in 2 ⅞ oz icing sugar so it is thickly coated; a thin dusting won't crack properly.
Step 4: Set the balls on the tray 4 cm apart and press each lightly with your thumb to flatten slightly.
Step 5: Bake for 12–15 minutes until the tops have cracked open, the cracks look pale gold and the bottoms are just colouring. Don't wait for them to feel firm; that is the most common mistake.
14 minStep 6: Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then move to a rack. They keep for a week in an airtight tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does almond ghriba take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
BabboucheSpiced snail broth
After dark in Marrakech's great square, the babbouche stalls are recognisable by their steaming cauldrons and the toothpicks laid out by every bowl. Small land snails simmer in a dark broth of liquorice root, aniseed, thyme, caraway, bitter orange peel, chilli and a bundle of herbs that sellers say has fifteen ingredients, believed to soothe the stomach and warm you on a cold night. You pick the snails out with a toothpick, then drink the peppery, herbal, faintly sweet broth. At home, buy live snails sold for cooking, already purged by a reputable seller, discard any with broken shells or that do not move or retract when touched, and cook them through for at least 45 minutes. Chef's tip: keep the spices in a muslin bag; the broth stays clear and you avoid crunching on seeds.
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.