Moroccan Walnut Ghriba
Moroccan Walnut Ghriba is a chewy cookie made of almond flour, crushed walnuts, cocoa powder, and a hint of apricot flavor. With such a beautiful nutty flavor, this cookie pairs perfectly with fresh Moroccan tea or Arabic coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour (or peanut powder)
- 2 cups finely crushed walnuts
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- a smidgen of salt
- 1/2 Tbsp apricot jam (Honey may be substituted)
- 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (room temperature)
- 1 large egg
Coating Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners sugar (see notes for substitute)
- 15 walnut halves
- 2 Tbsp orange blossom water (optional)
Instructions
- Mix almond flour, finely crushed walnuts, baking powder, vanilla sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk butter, jam, and eggs. Combine with the mixture of nuts and mix by hand to form a dough. The dough texture should be easy to shape into balls. If it's too dry, add an egg yolk.
- Allow your dough to rest for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Rub your hands with orange blossom water before shaping each ball. This step is optional, so you may skip it and continue forming the balls. Allow the balls to rest for 15 minutes before dipping them in the confectioners' sugar.
- Dip the balls in the confectioners' sugar five to six times and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place half a walnut on top of each cookie ball, then gently push down to slightly flatten the cookie.
- Place the cookies in the middle level of a preheated 350 F degree oven (180 C). Bake for 10 minutes, being careful not to overbake.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a serving platter. Enjoy with a cup of tea, coffee, or milk.
Notes
- Do not dip the balls in the orange blossom water; the cookies will absorb all the confectioners' sugar.
- You may substitute 3/4 cup powdered sugar + 2 tsp corn starch for the confectioners' sugar.
- Store ghribas in an airtight container for up to 21 days. Do not refrigerate.