Semolina Butter Cookies
Submitted by jughead
Melt-in-your-mouth semolina butter cookies made with ghee, powdered sugar, and orange zest, topped with a whole blanched almond. Baked low and slow for a sandy, crumbly texture.
YIELD
2 dozenPREP
15 minCOOK
40 minREADY
2 hrsThese cookies shatter into buttery crumbs the moment you bite into them.
A blend of semolina flour, cake flour, and all-purpose flour gives them a unique sandy texture that’s somewhere between a shortbread and a Middle Eastern ghraybeh. Ghee (clarified butter) beaten until white and fluffy with powdered sugar and orange zest creates an impossibly tender dough.
Shaped into small diamond-shaped cakes with a whole blanched almond pressed into the top, they bake low and slow until just barely golden.
They’re incredibly fragile when warm, so let them cool on the tray for a full hour before you even think about moving them.
Pro Tips
- Beat the ghee longer than you think you need to. The lighter and fluffier you get it, the more delicate the cookie.
- Chill the dough for 10 minutes before shaping. It’s soft and sticky at room temperature.
- Don’t skip the cake flour. It has less protein than all-purpose, which keeps the cookies tender rather than chewy.
- These keep well in an airtight tin for up to a week, layered between parchment paper.
Ingredients
Directions
Sift the semolina, cake, and all-purpose flours into a small bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter in a medium bowl at medium speed until white, light and fluffy.
The more you beat, the lighter the cookie.
Gradually sprinkle in the sugar and zest.
Continue to beat for 2 minutes.
Remove from the mixer and gradually fold in the flours.
The dough will be quite soft; refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 275℉ (140℃).
Shape dough into diamond-shaped cakes about 1-inch wide and ½-inch thick.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about ½-inch apart.
Place an almond on the top of each cookie and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
They will be very fragile, so allow them to cool for 1 hour on the tray.
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