Ghriba (غريبة) — Moroccan crumbly almond cookies with orange blossom

• 250 gAlmond flour (finely ground blanched almonds)
• 120 gPowdered sugar
• 90 gUnsalted butter (softened) (Soft but not melted, about 20°C)
• 1Egg (Large, about 50 g without shell)
• 10 mlOrange blossom water (About 2 tsp)
• 4 gBaking powder (About 1 tsp)
• 1.5 gFine sea salt (About 1/4 tsp)
• 2.5 mlVanilla extract (1/2 tsp)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Let the butter sit at room temperature until soft so it creams smoothly without turning oily.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Breaking up any almond lumps now helps the cookies bake with a uniform, delicate crumb.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter with the 120 g powdered sugar for 1 to 2 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and orange blossom water, then mix until fully emulsified and smooth.

4. 4

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a spatula until a soft, cohesive dough forms. The dough should hold together when pressed but feel tender and slightly sandy, so stop mixing as soon as no dry patches remain.

5. 5

   Portion the dough into 18 pieces of about 30 g each and roll into smooth balls. Roll each ball in the 60 g powdered sugar to coat thoroughly, then place them on the lined tray with at least 4 cm spacing.

6. 6

   Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the tray at the 10-minute mark for even heat. The cookies should develop fine cracks and look set, but they should remain pale with only the faintest golden tint on the bottoms.

7. 7

   Cool the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes because they are fragile while hot and can crumble if moved too soon. Transfer to a rack and cool completely for at least 20 minutes so the texture becomes properly crumbly and tender.