{"id":768,"date":"2011-01-07T04:20:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-07T09:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev6.finelimedesigns.com\/2011\/01\/07\/egyptian-shortbread\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T15:47:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T20:47:42","slug":"egyptian-shortbread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bakeschool.com\/egyptian-shortbread\/","title":{"rendered":"Egyptian shortbread"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Egyptian shortbread (also called ghorayebah) are different than the typical shortbread from the UK because they are made with clarified butter (samneh) instead of regular butter, as well as icing sugar, and an egg yolk. The resulting shortbread cookies are sturdy and crisp yet tender, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that can't be beat!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We make Egyptian shortbread (ghorayebah in Arabic) every Christmas. Full disclosure: I'm sure that the Lebanese will say that they are Lebanese shortbread (or ghraybeh), and the Syrian's will correct me and call them Syrian shortbread, and the Iranians will label them as Iranian cookies\u2026. Whatever you want to call them is fine. They are Egyptian to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Egyptian butter cookies are made with clarified butter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These Egyptian butter cookies are different than typical shortbread cookies from the UK in that the Egyptian shortbread are made with clarified butter<\/a>, which is called samneh. Clarified butter is very easy to prepare: you heat your butter in a small saucepan on low and as the milk solids separate from the fat, you can use a spoon to skim them off the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To further clarify the butter, pour the hot melted butter through a cheesecloth to remove any leftover solids. The resulting melted butter will be a clear, golden yellow colour. It will turn opaque as it cools and solidifies, turning into a pastel yellow colour, but quite solid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clarified butter is sometimes called ghee, but in some cultures, ghee is actually made from browned butter, where the milk solids are browned to caramelize them. When the melted browned butter is strained, it is ghee, and it has a slightly nutty flavour from the browned milk solids. Clarified butter has a different flavour, more creamy\/milky and delicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both clarified butter or ghee can be used in this recipe. Just make sure the butter is at room temperature. The beauty of baking with either of these is that clarified butter and ghee have a longer shelf-life, which means that the cookies can be stored for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Shortbread<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Egyptian shortbread are rolled into small balls, and a nut is placed on each one before baking, so they may look similar to jam thumbprint cookies<\/a>. In my family, we actually roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut out the cookies using a round cookie cutter or a glass, or with simple cookie cutters, like stars. This yields a more delicate biscuit that is lovely served with afternoon tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These rolled out butter cookies have a texture very similar to these jam-filled shortbread<\/a>, which are cut-out shortbread cookies sandwiched with a jam filling (but you could also use homemade nutella<\/a>). The shortbread used for sandwich cookies have less sugar (half of it!) because you sandwich them with sweet jam. These ghorayebah have a ratio that is very close to the 1-2-3 shortbread ratio<\/a> (1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour, by weight), the go-to ratio for most shortbread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chill the cookies to reduce spread<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like with any cutout cookies, the secret to preventing them from spreading in the oven is to chill the cookies before baking. By cooling the cookies in the fridge, the butter takes longer to melt and so the cookies hold their shape longer as the edges set out and dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can bake the cookies as soon as you've cut them out if you are in a hurry, but the edges may soften a little as the cookies bake. The cookies will taste just as good! If you decide to chill before baking, you may add a minute or two to the baking time to ensure they are properly cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Making tender rich shortbread<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The texture of Egyptian shortbread cookies should be crisp but tender, firm enough that you can ship them, but not hard to bite. The secret to making these cookies more rich and tender is using icing sugar (powdered sugar) to make the dough and also adding an egg yolk. The egg yolk provides a lot of richness to the classic shortbread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These should not be chewy! If your butter cookies are chewy, you probably didn't bake them for long enough. It's very important that the cookies dry out in the oven to achieve the perfect texture. If you want chewy cookies, these are not the cookie for you. Make these chewy chocolate chip cookies<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Egyptian cookies are often sprinkled with powdered sugar to serve them. This is a very simple way of decorating them. If you find they are sweet, you can reduce the icing sugar in the cookie dough by 30 grams (\u00bc cup).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Shortbread<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After years of baking this recipe, I think we have come up with the right ratios yielding a cookie that is delicate but firm enough to munch on without making a mess. These are not the typical British shortbread since the Egyptian shortbread are made with samneh<\/i> (also known as clarified butter) and powdered sugar. An egg yolk makes the cookies more tender, while a touch of brandy gives them an interesting flavour. You can substitute the same volume of vanilla extract<\/a> for the brandy, or use a different alcohol like rum or bourbon. The flavour of these shortbread is really special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My dad still reminisces of the years when our cookies were so short that he'd take a bite of one only to find that the rest of the cookie had crumbled in his hand and all over his lap. Clearly dad's an even bigger fan of butter than I am!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udcd6 Recipe<\/h2>
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Egyptian Shortbread (Ghorayebah)<\/h2>\n
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Author<\/span>Author : <\/span>Janice Lawandi<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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Egyptian shortbread (also called ghorayebah) are made with clarified butter. They are tender, crisp, and yet sturdy, while they still have that melt-in-your-mouth quality of a good butter cookie!<\/span><\/div>\n
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