Ghriba (Almond Shortbread Cookies)

Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and baking powder. Add the egg, yolk, orange blossom water, lemon zest and butter, and bring together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.

💡 Different ground almonds carry different oil, so let the dough tell you: if it is too wet to roll, add a spoon more ground almonds; if it cracks and crumbles, a few drops of orange blossom water bring it back.

Rest the dough 10 minutes so the almonds absorb the moisture and it firms up.

Roll heaped tablespoons into balls, then roll each generously in the coating icing sugar until thickly white all over.

Sit them on a lined tray, spaced apart, and flatten each very slightly with your palm.

Bake at 170°C for 15–18 minutes, until the tops crack open and the bases are just set but the cookies are still pale.

💡 Pull them while still soft and pale — they firm up as they cool. Baking until they look 'done' and golden gives you hard, dry ghriba instead of the tender, marzipan middle you want.

Cool on the tray 5 minutes before lifting — they are fragile straight from the oven — then move to a rack.