These are delightful meltingly soft cookies. You must also try the variation with ground hazelnuts.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 50

　　2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter

　　1 1/4 cups superfine sugar

　　4 cups all-purpose flour

　　Blanched almonds or pistachio nuts to decorate

　　

Step 1

Cream the butter and beat it until it becomes white. Add the sugar, beating constantly for about 5 minutes, until it is a smooth cream. Add flour gradually, working it in by hand. Although no liquid is added, this makes a very soft dough. If the dough is too soft, add a little more flour.

　　

Step 2

Take walnut-sized lumps, roll them into balls, and flatten them slightly. Place them on a baking sheet a little apart from each other, as they spread slightly. Stick a blanched almond or pistachio on top of each one.

　　

Step 3

Bake in a 325°F oven for 20–30 minutes. Do not let the ghorayebah overcook. They must remain very white: they taste quite different if they are even slightly brown. Let them cool before you try to move them.

　　

Variations

Step 4

An exquisite variation is to replace 1/2 cup of the flour with 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts.

　　

Step 5

You can flavor the dough with a grating of nutmeg, or 1–2 teaspoons of cinnamon or ground cardamom.

　　

Step 6

Another traditional shape for ghorayebah is little bracelets. Roll the dough into 4-inch-long sausage shapes about 1/2 inch thick, and bring the ends together to make bracelets. Decorate with split almonds or pistachios.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf