Ghorayebah

ghorayebah a Middle Eastern biscuit made from a pastry dough of flour, butter, and sugar. There are two traditional shapes: discs, with a blanched almond on each, or ‘bracelets’ (made from long sausages of dough) decorated with chopped almonds or pistachios. Moroccan ghoriba are made from a similar mixture, but with semolina replacing the flour. The traditional shape for these is a flattened sphere, and they are dredged with sugar after baking.

Much the same product occurs in Greece, as kourabiethes, half-moons or round, sprinkled with icing sugar. They used to be special to the Christmas season, for which their snowy aspect was suitable, but now are made the year round. Blanched almonds, cloves, and rosewater may enhance their appearance and flavour; and their texture is like shortbread (or shortcake in N. America).