Ghraybeh cookies are melt-in-your-mouth buttery nuggets of love that require only three ingredients. These Middle Eastern shortbread cookies only require about an hour of your time. One recipe will give you 36 cookies which is enough to share with the family, take to a cookie exchange, or a potluck at work. Ghraybeh cookies, also called Lebanese shortbread cookies, have been enjoyed at every gathering that I have taken them to.
The ingredients for the Ghraybeh cookies
Flour, powdered sugar, and clarified butter, or ghee, are the only ingredients that are used in making ghraybeh . What is ghee? Ghee is butter that has had the milk solids removed after melting the butter. Ghee is very important for making ghraybeh cookies. I have tried using regular butter and they did not turn out the same. Ghee can be purchased at most grocery stores or you can make your own.
Mixing the ingredients
Add the flour and powdered sugar to the mixing bowl that you are using. Give the flour and powdered sugar a mix and let them get to know each other a bit. Next add the ghee. The mixture will go through about three stages. First it will look sandy. After a few more minutes the mixture will combine into a wet, hard dough. Next, the dough will start to get soft and look whipped. The whole process takes about 10 minutes or so and is worth the wait! Look at the video for how it is done. After the dough is done mixing, wrap the dough and cool for about 20 minutes in the fridge.
Rolling and baking the ghraybeh
After the dough has cooled, roll the dough out in about 11 gram balls, or about a large teaspoon sized ball. The balls do not change size very much when baking, so you can place them on a lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Once the balls are rolled and placed on the lined baking sheet, press a pistachio or almond into the top of the ghraybeh cookie dough. This is optional. You do not have to put the nut in the cookie if you don’t want to. You can put candied fruit or whatever you like. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees F.
For another holiday cookie, try my soft and chewy gingerbread cookie recipe!
Please visit my cookies page for more ideas!
Three Ingredient Ghraybeh Cookies (Middle Eastern Butter Cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- ¾ cup of powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup of ghee clarified butter
Instructions
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and flour.
- Add ghee to the flour mixture and blend until whipped and smooth. About 7-10 minutes.
- Chill dough for at least 20 minutes.
- Roll dough to a ball about 11 grams or a teaspoon size.
- Press an almond or pistachio (optional) into the rolled cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees F.
- When baked, place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.
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