Ghorayeba: Egypt's Melt-in-the-Mouth Butter Cookies

Ghorayeba are pale, crumbly cookies of butter, powdered sugar and flour, often topped with a nut. A guide to this Eid favourite across the Arab world.

Ghorayeba are small, pale shortbread cookies made from clarified butter, powdered sugar and flour, often topped with a single almond or pistachio. They are so tender they crumble at a touch and dissolve on the tongue. In Egypt they share the Eid tray with kahk and petit fours.

Across the region

The same cookie appears under related names across the Middle East and North Africa: ghraybeh in the Levant, ghriba in Morocco, where it can be crackled and chewy. Greece's kourabiedes and Turkey's kurabiye are relatives, and the shared name hints at a common Ottoman-era kitchen.

The method

The secret is beating clarified butter with powdered sugar for a long time, until almost white and fluffy. Flour is folded in just until combined. The dough is shaped into small rounds or S-shapes and baked at a low temperature so the cookies stay pale. Browning means they baked too hot.

Common mistakes

Too much flour makes them hard. Too warm a kitchen makes the dough spread. Moving them before they cool breaks them. Leave them on the tray until fully cold.

If it browns, it's a different cookie.

Serving

Serve ghorayeba on a plate with tea or coffee. Store in a tin in a cool place; they keep for a couple of weeks.

Ask Délices

We bake by the season, so call us to ask what's on the counter today, or to plan an Eid tray for an occasion: +20 3 486 1432. You'll find us at 46 Saad Zaghloul Street, Raml Station, open daily 8 AM – 1 AM.