A much loved Lebanese and Middle Eastern holiday treat. Ghraybeh are mini cookie pastries that have a smooth texture and shaped into ring-like cookies. When you bite into them, you first hear a crunch, that is followed by that melting sensation on your tongue that is unlike any other cookie I have had,  maybe similar to shortbread cookies, but with deaper flavor notes coming from the ghee. Ghraybeh are always a hit around the holidays, but beware they are highly addictive, and resisting them is hard; I would find all kinds of excuses to go ahead and a reach for a second and sometimes a third piece, so a fair warning before you decide to make them. In the Middle East and Lebanon, Ghraybeh cookies are  served in major celebrations like Ramadan, Eid, Easter and Christmas holiday,  just like the maamoul, no feast is complete without it. They are perfect too for tea time or everyday cookie.

Ghraybeh, Lebanese Shortbread Cookies

Ghraybeh has humble ingredients: What would your expectations be if you know that all you need is ghee, powdered sugar and flour to make this classic cookie, and would those few ingredients yield a flavorful cookie on their own? I dare to say a big fat yes! These humble ingredients will end up making one of the most gratifying cookies in the Middle East to enjoy with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, so ghraybeh is something you should consider learning, sometimes simple is best!

Tips and Tricks

• I would prefer you use a scale in measuring the dough ingredients, specifically for ghraybeh, it is far more accurate than measuring cups, which means you can be confident that you’ve followed the recipe exactly right.
• Use a flalvorful ghee brand, it makes all the difference.
• The dough is easy to make, with only three simple ingredients, everything comes together in one bowl. You add the ghee, powdered sugar, then, you dump the flour in, and with your fingers, mix until you get crumbly dough that comes together when you press it with your fingers. Cover with plastic warp and chill for 30 minutes. The reason for chilling is to solidify the fat in the dough so the cookies retain their shape and won’t spread in the oven, 30 minutes chilling will do the trick.
• If you live in a hot  climate, and the dough softens quickly while rolling it out or if it starts to feel too soft, then pop it one more time in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill. Humidity and hot climate are the primary cause for spreading out the ghraybeh while baking.
• The temperature and baking time should be just enough for the cookies to be baked through but still have a pale color. Over baking will cause them to be rock hard instead of and melt-in-your-mouth. I found that 150 ° C/ 300 °F for 18 minutes went perfect in my oven, but remember ovens are different, once the ghraybeh get a minimal brown bottom, remove from the oven.
• Ghraybeh will be slightly soft once they come out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool down, so avoid touching or moving them while they are still hot so you don’t break them.

The most common question that readers ask about ghraybe: “Can I make it with butter?”

No, butter doesn’t make great ghraybeh cookies. It will cause the cookies to harden more when making and they won’t have a nice dense texture and flavor.

The most common ghryabeh I grew up eating in Beirut are the one with a ring form shape, but you can use a variation of this dough to make thumbprint cookies, it is a matter of preference

This easy, crisp, melt in your mouth Lebanese and Middle Eastern shortbread cookie that is called ghraybeh comes together with three ingredients you probably have in your pantry! They keep for 2 weeks when stored properly.

Eventually, ghraybeh comes in different forms, shapes and names, they all worth learning and enjoying, check them out:

• Pistachio filled sanioura: Sanioura is a shortbread cookie that hails from Saida (Saidon) south of Lebanon, the city has a reputation for being home to some of the best Lebanese sweets, and one of the most celebrated desserts is Sanioura
• Date gharybeh: are buttery and crumbly with a soft date center, they are somewhat similar to maamoul with dates, but the flavors are of a different variety,
• Tamara ghraybeh: These melt-in-your-mouth delights involve flaky, buttery pastry that envelops a sweet date filling with a rich nutty flavor—thanks to the pistachios that incase the cookies.

Storage: Ghraybeh cookies are best stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

• Author:Hadia Zebib Khanafer, 
• Prep Time: 1 hour including the rest time of the dough
• Baking time: 20 to 22 minutes
• Serving: Makes 40 pieces

Ingredients:

• 500 grams / 1 lb 2 oz./ 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 1/2 cups
• 250 gram /  9 oz / 1 1/2 cup ghee
• 200 gram / 7 oz. / 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• A handful of raw shelled pistachios, optional

Directions:

1. Place the ghee and powdered sugar in a large bowl, mix with your hands to integrate together; add the flour a little at a time, and start mixing with the tips of your fingers. The mixture may first crumble, continue kneading until you have a dough of one texture, knead for more until it has a malleable smooth texture. Alternatively, you can use your stand mixer. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate just for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to150 ° C/ 350 °F with a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
4. To put together: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead well again. Break the dough roughly the size of an apricot. Rub each dough with the palm of your hands forming a 5 cm/ 2.5 inches long rope-like dough. Pinch the ends together forming a circle
5. Carefully transfer the cookies to the parchment lined baking sheets and place them 1 inch apart. Place a pistachio piece on the connecting ends, or simply leave it plain.
6. Bake one sheet pan at a time, in the center of the oven, watch carefully while they are baking, respect the oven temperature and baking time, so you want to take them out the right moment, ghraybeh should be kept snow white. In order to achieve this but still make sure the ghraybeh is entirely cooked through, you need to bake it at a low temperature. Typically, it should be baked at 300F / 150°C for 18 minutes.
7. Ghraybeh will be slightly soft once they come out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool down, so avoid touching or moving them while they are still hot so you don’t break them.

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