How to Make Butter Cookies

A hand holding a butter cookie with a pistachio in the center.

5 from 2 votes

Ghorayebah, or Butter Cookies from Egypt, are a delicious and simple cookie recipe that you will love. These cookies are made with Ghee and are so tender that they will LITERALLY melt in your mouth. Top them with pistachios or almonds or eat them plain. Either way, you’ll love them!

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine Egyptian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Resting Time 20

Total Time 47

Servings cookies

Calories 78kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup ghee
½ cup powdered sugar sifted
⅛ tsp baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
Pistachios

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the ghee on a medium speed until it gets light and fluffy and looks whipped.
Sift the powdered sugar into the ghee and use your hand mixer to beat again on medium speed until it looks light and fluffy.
Add the baking powder, then add 1 cup of flour. Knead the dough with your hands until the dough comes together and is completely combined. Then add another cup of flour and knead again. The dough will be very soft.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or longer).
When the dough has finished refrigerating, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and form the cookies into small balls, a bit smaller than a golf ball, and place them on the cookie sheet. Use the palm of your hand to LIGHTLY press down on the cookie. Add a pistachio on top if you’d like.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies firm up. Allow them to rest on the baking sheet until cooled before transferring them to another plate. Then, sprinkle powdered sugar on top and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe from The Mediterranean Dish.

Ghee: Make sure to use a ghee that is not melted while at room temperature. You should look for a “highly clarified” brand.

Sugar: Make sure to use powdered sugar. If you do not have powdered sugar, you can blend granulated sugar in a blender until it becomes powdered.
Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipeYou can substitute unsalted butter for the Ghee if you’d like, however it will change the flavor and texture of the cookie significantly. So much so, in fact, that it wouldn’t be considered Ghorayebah anymore. Stick to clarified butter if you can!
I added pistachios on top of the cookies, but you can also add almonds or any other nut that you think would be delicious
If you can’t find ghee and want to make it yourself, visit this recipe for Nitter Kibbeh from Djibouti. Follow the instructions without adding anything but the butter and you will have ghee!

Nutrition