JEWISH/MOROCCO ~ Sugar Cookies ~ Ghouribi
JEWISH/MOROCCAN SUGAR COOKIES
Ghouribi
Makes 30
1 cup vegetable oil or butter
1 cup sugar
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely ground walnuts or almonds
Cinnamon to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly flour an ungreased cookie sheet. Place oil and sugar in a large bowl, mix well. Gradually add flour, a cup at a time, and knead well. Blend in the nuts. When dough feels smooth, use the palm of your hand to roll it into balls the size of an egg. Pat into a round cookie about 2-inches in diameter. The cookies should not be flat. Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle center of each cookie with cinnamon*. Bake 25-30 minutes. Do not let cookies become even slightly brown; they must remain off-white.
*A Turkish variation uses cocoa instead of cinnamon and is sprinkled with powdered sugar. These cookies can also be shaped into crescents. NOTE: On Purim morning, Moroccan Jews decorate their tables with flowers and sweet delicacies such as ghouribi.
SOURCE: "The Jewish Holiday Kitchen" by Joan Nathan