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Loading...Ghraiba are classic Tunisian melt-in-your-mouth cookies made with fine semolina and warm butter, perfumed with orange blossom water and crowned with a single blanched almond. The dough is pressed into small rounds or molded into ridged shapes, then baked just until the edges turn a pale gold while the centers stay ivory and sandy. The result is a tender, fragrant biscuit that crumbles into a buttery, fragrant cloud with every bite.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time18 mins
Total Time38 mins
Servings4
Yield24 cookies (4 servings of 6)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 520 kcalCalories
- 28 gFat
- 16 gSaturated Fat
- 62 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 22 gSugar
- 7 gProtein
- 10 mgSodium
- 120 mgPotassium
- 40 mgCalcium
- 2 mgIron
- 0 mgVitamin C
- 500 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 cups fine semolina
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional, for a slightly puffier crumb)
For Shaping and Topping
- 1/3 cup whole blanched almonds (about 24, one per cookie)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the fine semolina, flour, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder if using.
- Pour the warm melted butter over the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or your fingertips until evenly moistened. Add the orange blossom water and vanilla and continue mixing until a soft, sandy dough comes together that holds when pressed. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes so the semolina can hydrate.
- Pinch off tablespoon-sized portions (about 25 g each) and roll each between your palms into a smooth ball. Place on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart, then gently flatten each ball into a 1 1/2-inch round about 1/2 inch thick. Using the back of a fork or a toothpick, score a light crosshatch or diamond pattern on top of each cookie.
- Press one whole blanched almond firmly into the center of each cookie so it sinks just into the surface. Chill the shaped cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape in the oven.
- Bake on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges are just turning pale gold and the tops look set but still ivory in the center. Do not let them brown; ghraiba should remain pale and sandy.
- Slide the parchment off the pans and let the cookies cool completely on the sheets so they finish setting and firming up. Dust very lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Cook’s Notes
- Use fine semolina (sometimes labeled 'samba' or 'smeed') rather than coarse; coarse grains will stay gritty and the cookies will not melt together.
- Gently warming the butter (not hot) helps the semolina absorb the fat evenly for that signature sandy, short texture.
- Traditional Tunisian bakers use a ghraiba mold or fork tines to imprint rings or crisscross patterns, which also helps the cookies bake evenly.
- Pull the cookies while the tops still look pale and slightly underdone; they firm up as they cool and overbaking turns them dry.
- Orange blossom water is the soul of this cookie; start with 2 tablespoons if you prefer a softer floral note and work up to 4.
