Moroccan · Dessert · SAMPLE RECIPE
Almond ghriba · cracked-top Moroccan cookies
Tender almond cookies with lemon zest, a hint of orange blossom, and naturally cracked sugar tops. A small sweet to share beside a pot of tea.
Save to your Saucey Space, or keep a bookmark on this device.
A NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN
Soft centers, gently golden edges.
The base batch makes about eighteen cookies, or two per serving. This almond-flour home version belongs to the broad ghriba family; it is different from flour-based ghriba bahla. Use finely ground blanched almonds, not sweetened almond paste.
Ready to get started? The ingredients and steps are right below.
LET’S MAKE SOMETHING GOOD
Almond ghriba · cracked-top Moroccan cookies
Sample recipe awaiting kitchen testing. Timings are estimates.
The good part
Check off each step as you cook.
0 of 4 steps complete
BEHIND THE DISH · Moroccan cookie traditions
Almond ghriba · cracked-top Moroccan cookiesBeyond the plate.
Ground almonds and citrus fragrance make a small cookie with a tender center and an irregularly cracked top.
ORIGINS & EVOLUTION
One member of the ghriba family.
Ghriba is a family of Moroccan cookies with different ingredients and textures. Almond versions are distinct from flour-based ghriba bahla and from coconut or walnut variations. A cracked surface is familiar, but there is no single formula for every ghriba.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Small sweets beside tea.
Ghriba appears in Moroccan pastry assortments and at festive gatherings. Almonds and orange blossom fragrance also recur in other Moroccan sweets, linking these modest cookies to a wider baking tradition.
AT THE TABLE
An almond-flour home version.
We begin with finely ground blanched almonds rather than preparing almond paste from whole nuts. Lemon zest and a small amount of orange blossom water flavor the dough. Powdered sugar highlights the natural cracks as the cookies bake.
What else sounds good?
There’s a little more inspiration in the kitchen.
Back to the recipes