Ghriba Belkouk

غريبة بالكوك

“Crumbly, crackled, melting — made for mint tea.”

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min · Serves 25 pieces · Difficulty Easy · Origin: Andalusian Morocco (Fes, Tetouan)

Ghriba are Morocco's answer to the shortbread cookie — crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth biscuits made with semolina, sesame, almond or coconut, with a characteristic crackled sugar crust on top. The name means 'strange' or 'foreign' in Arabic — legend says these cookies arrived with Andalusian refugees in the 15th century. Today they are made in dozens of regional variations and served at every Moroccan tea ceremony.

Ingredients · Serves 25 pieces

• fine semolina200 g
• desiccated coconut (or ground sesame)100 g
• icing sugar + extra for rolling150 g
• baking powder1 tsp
• vanilla extract1 tsp
• orange blossom water1 tbsp
• butter, melted100 g
• egg1

The Recipe

1. 1.Mix semolina, coconut, icing sugar and baking powder in a bowl.
2. 2.Add melted butter, egg, vanilla and orange blossom water. Mix until a soft, slightly crumbly dough forms. It should hold together when pressed.
3. 3.Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. 4.Roll into walnut-sized balls. Roll generously in icing sugar.
5. 5.Place on a lined baking sheet and flatten slightly. The icing sugar will crack beautifully as they bake.
6. 6.Bake at 180°C for 12–15 minutes until just set — they should still feel slightly soft when pressed.
7. 7.Cool completely before moving — they firm up as they cool.

Chef's Tips

• Don't overbake — ghriba should be soft inside. They will seem underdone when you take them out, but they firm up perfectly as they cool.
• Rolling them generously in icing sugar is essential for the crackled top.