Ghraybeh Shortbread Cookies
Classic Lebanese ghraybeh are melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies made from just ghee, powdered sugar and flour, then crowned with a single pistachio. They bake pale, never brown, and turn sandy and tender as they cool.
- Prep
- 28 min
- Cook
- 17 min
- Wait
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Makes
- About 30 cookies (2 per serving)
Steps
Before you start
- Bring the ghee to a soft, spreadable room-temperature consistency (about 68°F / 20°C), like creamy frosting. If it is liquid, chill it 30–40 minutes until it sets and turns opaque.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the center just before shaping the cookies.
- Sift the powdered sugar and flour so the dough is smooth, with no lumps.
- Ghraybeh should stay pale. Don't wait for them to turn golden, or they will be dry and hard.
Line the pans
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift the powdered sugar and the flour into separate bowls and set them aside.
- Count out about 30 pistachios.
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Ready when: Pans are lined and both dry ingredients are lump-free.
Whip ghee and sugar
- Put the soft ghee in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and orange blossom water, if using.
- Beat on medium-high speed for 4–5 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice.
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Ready when: The mixture is very pale, almost white, light and fluffy, like whipped frosting.
Tip: If the ghee is too warm and the mixture looks greasy and loose, chill the bowl for 15 minutes and whip again.
Mix in flour
- Add the sifted flour in 3 additions on low speed, mixing just until each addition disappears.
- The dough will look crumbly at first.
- Finish by gently kneading it by hand in the bowl for about 30 seconds so it comes together into a soft, smooth, non-sticky dough.
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Ready when: The dough holds together when squeezed and feels soft like play dough, without cracking.
Tip: Don't over-mix. Too much working makes the cookies tough rather than sandy.
Rest the doughOven 325°F / 165°C
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Use this time to preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
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Ready when: The dough is soft but holds a shape when rolled.
Tip: If the kitchen is hot and the dough feels greasy, refrigerate it for 10 minutes.
Shape the cookies
- Divide the dough into portions of about 20 g (a rounded tablespoon), about 30 in all.
- Roll each into a smooth ball between your palms.
- Place on the lined pans 1½ inches (4 cm) apart, then flatten gently to about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- For the traditional ring shape, roll a 4-inch (10 cm) rope and join the ends.
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Ready when: Cookies are uniform in size with smooth tops and no deep cracks.
Tip: Weigh a few portions at first, then eyeball the rest so they bake evenly.
Add pistachios
- Press one pistachio into the center of each cookie, pressing firmly so it sticks without crushing the cookie.
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Ready when: Each nut is set firmly into the top of its cookie.
Bake until paleOven 325°F / 165°C
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack at 325°F (165°C) for 15–18 minutes.
- Rotate the pan halfway through.
- Remove when the cookies are set and still pale on top.
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Ready when: Tops are matte and pale ivory, the bottom edges are just light golden, and the cookies don't spread. They will feel soft but set.
Tip: Don't let the tops brown. Ghraybeh are meant to be white.
Cool completely
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, undisturbed.
- They are very fragile while hot.
- Then move them to a wire rack, using a thin spatula.
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Ready when: Cookies feel firm and lift cleanly off the parchment without crumbling.
Tip: Moving them while warm will break them.
Good to know
Tips
- Clarified butter gives ghraybeh their signature sandy melt. Store-bought ghee works well, or simmer unsalted butter until the foam clears, then strain.
- Whip the ghee and sugar until almost white, because this traps air and makes the cookies light.
- For even baking, shape all cookies the same size and thickness.
- Let the cookies cool fully on the pan before you touch them. They firm up as they cool.
Make ahead
"The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead, wrapped well and refrigerated. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften before shaping. Shaped, unbaked cookies can be frozen on a tray, then bagged for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature in an airtight container, layered with parchment: up to 2 weeks. Fridge: not needed. Freezer: baked cookies up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes in the container. No reheating is needed."
Substitutions
- ghee (clarified butter) → unsalted butter, softened. Gives a richer, less nutty flavor and a slightly softer, spreading cookie. Use 250 g butter and chill the shaped cookies 20 minutes before baking.
- raw unsalted shelled pistachios → blanched whole almonds. Same amount, with a milder flavor and a similar look.
- orange blossom water → extra vanilla extract. Use 1 more teaspoon of vanilla for a simpler flavor.
- all-purpose flour → fine semolina for part of the flour. Replace 40 g of flour with 40 g of fine semolina for a sandier texture.
