Ghoriba

Storing and Planning Ahead

Keeps 2 weeks in an airtight tin. They soften slightly and improve.

Making Ghoriba

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1. Mix the ground almonds, caster sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in a bowl.

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2. Beat the eggs with the orange blossom water and stir them in to a soft, sticky dough.

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3. Cover and chill 1 hour, until firm enough to roll.

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4. Heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F fan and line two trays.

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5. Tip the icing sugar into a shallow bowl.

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6. Roll the dough into 12 balls, wetting your hands if it sticks.

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7. Drop each ball into the icing sugar and turn it until buried, then lift it out still thickly coated.

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8. Space them well apart on the trays and press a blanched almond into each.

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9. Bake 15 minutes, until risen, cracked and still pale.

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10. Cool on the trays 10 minutes before moving them, or they break.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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A Few Pointers

• Coat heavily. A dusting will not crack.
• Pale is done — colour means dry.
• Chilled dough holds its dome; warm dough spreads flat.

Behind the Recipe

The cracks are made by the icing sugar, not by the oven. Roll each ball in a thick, unembarrassed coat — far more than looks sensible — and the sugar sets into a dry shell before the almond underneath finishes rising, so the shell has to split. A thin dusting melts into the surface and you get a smooth, pale biscuit that tastes right and looks like nothing.

Serving Ideas

Mint tea · Turkish coffee · Fresh dates

Quick Answers

What's in a Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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