Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cardamom Shortbreads (Ghurayba)

Ghurayba, a type of shortbread, has been around in the Greater Syria area, Iraq and other Arab countries since ancient times. Today it is also found in the Arab Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, but with a twist—the addition of one of the most popular spices of the Arabian Peninsula, cardamom. Children in the eastern Arab World look forward to this delicious shortbread often made by their mothers in the family kitchen. At our farm home during my boyhood years, for any festive occasion, mother always made this simple-toprepare, mouth-melting dessert. Of all the sweets that mother made, I think most fondly of these, perhaps because they marked nearly every memorable happy family event and gathering. This cookie recipe is a hands-on process, literally! I find it easiest to work the dough with my hands, though a wooden spoon could also be used if preferred. These cookies are particularly pretty when formed in a mold, but they are equally delicious made without one, and instructions are provided to make them either way. Many molds made for Arab sweets are designed to form just one cookie at a time, whereas most Western-style molds generally allow you to form multiple cookies at one go in the same mold. The most common mold used for Arab confections is wooden and has a long handle, and is available at Middle Eastern stores that sell kitchenware items.

Makes: about 25 to 30 pieces

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water or rosewater
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 25 to 30 blanched almonds, to garnish
• cookies made without molds (optional)
• 1/2 cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar, to dust cookies (optional)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT (optional)

• Shortbread or confection molds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Using your hands, work the butter until soft and smooth. Gradually add the 1 cup (120 g) of confectioner’s sugar, orange blossom water or rosewater and cardamom while mixing the dough by hand until soft and smooth with a creamy consistency. Again, using your hands, mix in the flour until it is well combined and forms a soft dough.
3. Form the dough into round balls, a little smaller than a walnut, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using your fingers, flatten slightly to about 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) thickness, and, place an almond, if using, in the middle of each cookie, pressing lightly. If using a mold, place a ball of dough in the mold, press gently, and then flip it over onto the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bottoms turn very slightly light brown. Do not allow the Ghurayba to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool on the
   cookie sheets. If desired, sprinkle with the 1/2 cup (60 g) of confectioners’ sugar.
4. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. (They will keep up to 3 to 4 weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature and for approximately 2 months in the refrigerator.)

NOTE:

• Don’t be fooled when the timer goes off noting that the Ghurayba is done. They may appear to be underbaked, but do not judge a cookie by its cover! They should be slightly browned only on the bottom.