Rose and Almond Ghriba

By Nargisse Benkabbou

Updated July 28, 2020

Rose and Almond Ghriba
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,089)
Comments
Read comments

These delightful cookies, which are adapted from "Casablanca: My Moroccan Food” by Nargisse Benkabbou (Firefly, 2018), are like a cracked and caky rose lukum, a jelly candy often referred to as Turkish delight. Ghriba is a specific type of cookie that Moroccans bake all year long. Recipes vary depending on the region or the family, but they all have one thing in common: They are cracked on the outside and chewy on the inside. When it comes to ghriba, the flavoring possibilities are endless. The most popular varieties are almond, coconut and walnut.

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Ingredients

Yield:16 cookies
  • ⅔cup/100 grams confectioners’ sugar, for coating
  • 2¾cups/300 grams ground almonds
  • ⅓cup plus 1 tablespoon/80 grams granulated sugar
  • 2large eggs
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1heaped teaspoon baking powder
  • 1teaspoon rose water
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

190 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 91 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Place all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands or a large spatula to mix them together until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Scoop the dough in heaping single tablespoonfuls (about 30 grams each) and roll each into a ball, then roll each ball in confectioners’ sugar until completely coated.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer the coated dough balls to the lined cookie sheet and lightly press each with the palm of your hand, but don’t flatten them completely.

  4. Step 4

    Immediately bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the cookies are cracked and firm on the outside. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. They will keep for up to seven days.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,089 user ratings
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Comments

Barbara

Can you use almond flour in this recipe or is it ground too fine?

BAC

These cookies sound great, but where can I get rosewater?

Sharon Lansing

NYT Notes: - Almond flour = ground almonds - coat with confectioners sugar after baking - rose water can be found in most large supermarkets; can use orange water or vanilla

Sarah

I made it with egg whites, used salted butter, and skipped the added salt. Shaped the cookies to 15g each and baked them for 10 minutes. I used vanilla beans instead of rose water after reading the reviews. loved the flavor! Perfect with coffee!

Lesley

Very disappointed in these. Read many comments and expected something better. I did double the rose water but still no flavour. Should have added vanilla or almond flavour but wanted to stay true to the recipe. Having a Moroccan dinner with friends and so hoped these would be something special fir after dinner. Don’t even know if I’ll put them out. Definite 👎

Marlena

I thought the texture of these cookies was amazing, the flavor was a bit lacking. Couldn’t taste the rose water at all and maybe I put in too much baking soda? I could almost taste it. I will probably make these again but mess with the flavors to amp them up.

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