Ghraiba (Kuwaiti Cardamom Butter Cookies)
Local name: غريبة
In short: Crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth butter cookies scented with cardamom and topped with a pistachio, baked pale and served with Arabic coffee. It takes about 38 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 38 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 370 kcal
Ghraiba are small, pale butter cookies with a sandy, melt-in-the-mouth texture, made across the Arab world and baked in Kuwaiti homes for Eid and for guests. The dough has only a few ingredients: butter, flour, powdered sugar and cardamom. Each cookie is topped with a pistachio and baked at a low temperature so it stays white. They are served with Arabic coffee, whose bitterness balances the sweetness.
Instructions
- Beat the butter and icing sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until very pale and fluffy.
- Sift in the flour, cardamom and salt and mix with a spatula until a soft dough forms. Add the milk if it looks crumbly, and do not overwork the dough.
- Wrap the dough and chill it for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll the dough into walnut-size balls of about 25 g each and set them 3 cm (1 in) apart. Press a pistachio gently into the center of each.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until set and only lightly golden underneath. The tops should stay pale.
- Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, because the cookies are fragile when warm. Serve with Arabic coffee.
Tips
- If the dough gets soft while you shape it, chill the balls for 15 minutes. Warm dough spreads in the oven and loses its domed shape.
- Ghee gives a nuttier, more traditional flavor. Use the same weight in place of the butter and chill the dough for 1 hour.
Questions and answers
How long do ghraiba keep?
In an airtight tin they keep for up to 2 weeks. They also freeze well, baked or as unbaked balls, for up to 2 months.
Why did my ghraiba spread in the oven?
The butter was too soft or the dough was warm. Chill the shaped balls for 15 minutes before baking and keep the oven at 160°C (325°F).
What do you serve with ghraiba?
Arabic coffee, black tea or milky tea. A plate of dates alongside makes a classic Gulf spread for guests.
How long does it take to make Ghraiba (Kuwaiti Cardamom Butter Cookies)?
About 38 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 18 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Ghraiba (Kuwaiti Cardamom Butter Cookies)?
About 370 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 41 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 370 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Sodium | 95 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
