Gluten-free Moroccan ghrieba (macaroon) with almond and peanuts

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I was looking for an old set of family recipes I gathered when I was still living in Morocco and I stumbled upon this irresistible and chewy ghrieba/ghrouiba.

Ghrieba with almond and peanuts is very easy to make and I won’t even ask you to blanch the nuts yourself as long as you buy them whole and skinned. But if you want to do it all by yourself, it’s rewarding from a taste level and you know that for sure.

The logic of this ghrieba is just like the class ghrieba with almond but we just replace half the weight of homemade almond paste with peanuts.

I’ll leave you with the recipe to make one of the chewiest macaroons or ghriebas known to mankind.

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Ingredients
For about 20 ghriebas depending on the size
Prep : 20 min/ Baking : 18 min by batch
  • 250g almonds blanched
  • 250 g peanuts, blanched
  • 165 g of sugar (can go to 200 g)
  • 1 egg + 1 yolk
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp of jam, sifted (apricot is preferred)
  • 1 tbsp of butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder.
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • A good pinch of mastic gum or Meska
  • Essence of Almond (3 to 4 drops if you suspect that the almonds do not have a strong taste)
Finishing and decoration with icing
  • 200 g icing sugar

Preparation

Make-ahead nut task

If you are opting for a traditional way to do everything from scratch. Separately blanch the almonds and the peanuts for 2 minutes in boiling water. Drain and instantly start peeling the skin. Wash about 3 times and drain. Spread each nut in one layer over a kitchen towel and rub to dry them further.
My family usually leaves the trays in a balcony or the garden in sunny days but I place the nuts in a very hot oven which I knock off before they go in. They stay a good 10 minutes and they’re ready.

Next, use a good food processor to turn these nuts to a paste, each one respectively.
Use 1/3 of the sugar for the almonds and 1/3 for the peanuts. Make sure you get a paste or at least a fine powder.

The fact of having a paste helps with the chewiness of the ghriebas, but if you are unlucky with the food processor, double the quantity for apricot jam.

Making ghrieba

Mix mastic gum with 1 teaspoon of caster sugar and crush it with the bottom of a glass or use a pestle and mortar to do the job. It will take you 5 seconds.

Preheat the oven at 170 degrees C and cover 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Lightly beat the eggs with the remaining of the sugar quantity and the pinch of salt. Break in the almond and peanut paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with hands or with a food processor until the mixture looks lump-free. You don’t need to overwork it especially if all ingredients are at room temperature.
Form small balls of approx 2 to 3 cm.
Drop the balls in the icing sugar so they coat from one side and all around. They need to pick as much icing sugar as possible as this plays a major role in the highly sought crackling.

Bake ghriebas

Place the ghriebas on the baking sheets, leaving about 5 to 6 cm gap between each one. Place your thumb right in the middle from the top and slightly apply a pressure. This helps with the final look.

If you have a convection oven, place the tray in the top tier for 5 minutes then place it in the middle for another 5 minutes. Turn the baking tray around to ensure even baking and bake for a few more minutes until the ghriebas look nicely crackled and golden from the sides. The icing sugar will look set and not damp, a sign the ghrieba is ready.

If you are using a traditional oven, bake on position “grill” until it crackles then bake from the bottom. I usually put the 2 positions ON at the same time. This way it bakes in 18 minutes.

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Notes

 
  • Mastic gum or meska is the secret ingredient that gives this delicate taste. The spoon of jam reinforces the chewy texture. Although some also call it gum arabic but I believe there is a difference. The one used in our Moroccan baking usually comes from Greece. Gum arabic is from a species of Acacia, while mastic gum is in the Pistacia family and is related to frankincense.
  • Always keep lemon rinds with the chewy ghriebas in an airtight container as they help them keep their texture and the lemon touch longer.

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My favourite sablés biscuits: 1 dough, many designs

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I have this thing for sablés and I’m not the only Moroccan who does. In fact, I’ve been in contact with many people for all corners of the globe and everyone loves them.

Sablés are buttery biscuits (or cookies for some) which could be flavoured, enriched and finished in endless ways.
Apart from the round-whirl biscuits with cherry, all these sablés
were made using the same dough
Like many countries, sablés à la confiture (jam biscuits) are a nation’s favourite (especially children). In Morocco, the standard jam used to fill these biscuits are apricot or strawberry jam due to the abundance of these two fruits in Morocco (in their season).
 
Thin sandwiched sables with dulche de leche inside. Smear the edges with the
same filling and roll them into the little candy balls
 
In the last 25 years, we started using confiture de lait (literally milk jam) which you may know as dulche de leche. The shortcut to this caramelised spread is to buy a sweetened condensed milk can and cook it (unopened) for a couple of hours in a hot water. The result is so yummy!
Fill a pot with water to cover the can of sweet condensed milk, cover the pot and
let simmer for a couple of hours. Open it once cool and save it for months
Moroccan women and Moroccan bakeries are very creative when it comes to making sablés especially with the finishing touches.


Different finishing touches 
Have fun with your cookie-cutters but make sure you try my trusted sablés’ recipe. I’m posting it because wherever I lived and offered them, I was asked to share the recipe, especially when I use lime zest in the dough and sandwich the biscuits with a red berry jam (raspberry, strawberry).
 
If you ask me, the sablé’s biscuit dough is easy but tricky at the same time. It’s a delicate bake that needs attention and love (the hidden ingredients). You just need to learn a few tricks to get it always right.  
 
Make sure you dust the upper biscuit first with icing sugar before
sandwiching it with the bottom part
 
 
Ingredients
Makes 40 + (depending on the cutters used) 
Prep: 15 min- Resting time: 10 min to 1 hour – Baking: 10-12 min
 
The biscuit dough
  • 400g of flour
  • 250g of soft butter, at room temperature 
  • 250g of powdered sugar
  • 100g of corn starch 
  • 7 g of baking powder
  • 1 egg + 1 egg yolk 
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract or vanilla beans from 1 pod (if the filling will be dulche de leche)
  • Zest of 2 limes and/or 2 lemons (if the filling will be jam)
  • 1/2 tsp of salt

Filling (choose your options)

  • 100 g of dulche de leche
  • 100 g of good jam
  • 80 g of gianduja spread

Finishing (choose your options)

  • 1 egg yolk (for a finishing like the small Christmas trees)
  • 100g of blanched, fried or baked almond, coarsly crushed
  • 100 g of dark or milk chocolate (if making the hearts with half-dipped side)
  • 100g of lemon royal icing (1 tbsp of lemon juice mixed with 200 -250g of icing sugar) and small candy balls
  • 40g of icing sugar
 
To stick crushed blanched and fried almond, you just need to brush the surface with honey
or apricot marmalade that’s been warmed and sifted
 
Preparation
 

This sablés’ recipe uses the creaming method rather than the crumbling one.
 
Using an egg beater or a food processor fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with sugar, salt vanilla or zests for a few minutes to reach a creamy texture. Add the eggs and beat to combine.

Fold in the other dry ingredients. Form a ball and place it in a big cut of cling film. Flatten it 1cm thick to form an “abaisse”.Cover with a the cling film and transfer to the freezer for 15 min or in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven at 170 C and line up the baking sheets with baking paper.

Roll the cold dough between 2 sheets of baking paper. You may use a tablespoon of flour to dust the work surface. Roll the dough as thin as 2 mm bearing in mind the dough has baking powder so it will rise slightly.
 
Cut shapes, lift them with an offset spatula (or a knife) onto the baking sheet as you go. It is important that the dough remains cold and that you lift the biscuits delicately so you do not damage their shape. If the biscuit cuts warm up, place the whole baking sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes (hopefully you have space). 
Make sure you count the biscuits in pairs as you will be sandwiching them later.
You could use some cookie-prints (many options available in Morocco)
It is also advisable that you make some extra units from each shape as some might break or burn.
For the top biscuits with a hole in the middle, If you are not so sure about how steady your hands might be, cut the hole and pinch the excess dough once the biscuit cut is already in the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden from the edges.
 
 
The biscuits should NOT be fiddled with in the first couple of minutes as they tend to break, so be patient and then gently transfer them onto a grill to cool.
 
Assembling and decorating the biscuits

Use a knife or a spatula to smear your preferred filling. Follow these instructions to finish the sablés:
  • For biscuits with icing sugar on top, dust the top part before sandwiching it with the bottom part which you would have already smeared with the cold filling.
  • For biscuits with almond bits on top: warm a 3 tablespoons of apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water and sift. Brush the side where you want to stick the nuts powder then roll it side in the it. Warm clear honey will also do.
  • For biscuits with half-almond powder and half-chocolate: start first with the almond side, clean the edges with your fingers to have a neat finish. Dip the other side into melted chocolate, get rid of any excess and then place each sablé on a baking paper. Let the chocolate set before moving them.

The sablés keep well for a week if you put them in an airtight container. I tend to fill them with jam in the day I want to serve them so they don’t get soaked and last longer. 

I also keep any excess dough in the freezer which I use for biscuits but also for tarts.

 

El behla’s anatomy: an old shortbread that’s worth knowing

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Ghriyba is a sweet round shortbread that has been around in the Arab world (but also Persian, Turkish, Eastern European and Greek) for centuries. It travelled the world with their conquests (think Spanish and Mexican Polvorones and mantecados).

Ghraybeh, ghoraybeh, Kurabiye, ghreiba, ghrouiba, ghoraibi, ghriba(pronounce it “ghreyba”) are all words referring to a variety of that round-shaped sort of sweet which can be made of a humble combination such as butter/flour/sugar (just like a shortbread) or other elaborate combinations of ingredients (nuts, eggs, flavouring…etc). In Arabic, it’s mostly written the same way (غرّيبة‎­)from Morocco to the Middle-East. The word in Arabic refers to “stranger”.

 

Today’s ghriyba is almost the same as the Egyptian Ghoraybeh or The Levantine Ghraybeh as far as the main ingredients are concerned. It only changes in shape and has a rather funny name: “El Behla” which means “silly”.
Now there are two stories behind that name:
  • It’s a silly sweet because it can’t “behave” properly while baked as it cracks so fast. How funny that is because it’s also a sign of its success. If you don’t get the cracks, you can’t call it Ghriyba behla! Only good bakers can get that (without cheating that is).
  • It’s a silly considering it a cheap thing due to its humble ingredients. Nowadays, sesame seeds, almonds and cinnamon have found their ways into the ingredient list. This has partially allowed this melt-in-the-mouth ghriyba to go back to the main list of highly appreciated Moroccan sweets.

 

For those Moroccans who are like my grandma (+90 years old), ghriyba behla has always been and will remain a favourite. I guess its texture has a lot to do with it considering its melting aspect. However, it is because at their times, this must have been a childhood sweet that they were able to get regardless of their “social class” and day of the year, unlike the almond sweets.
These are traditional things we serve during funerals in Fes when people
 pop up to offer their condolences . Ghriyba Behla  is served on the left.
El Bahla has also other names: it’s called ghrieba lemremmla for its sandy texture, ghrieba dial smen (as it has a hint of our Moroccan cured and preserved butter) or ghrieba dial ezzit (ezzit in reference to the oil used in some versions).
I have recently encountered the name “sesame ghrieba” or “sesame shortbread”. Maybe this must be a new name (in the 2nd half of the 20th century) after the sesame seeds got added to it but this is definitely not the original name. This would be good news in case you are nut-allergic: just follow the original recipe.
Unlike Mantecados which are also very common in some areas of Morocco (brought with the Moors expelled from Andalucia), ghrieba el Behla has a golden colour and sometimes can take “extra colouring” which is what will happen if your oven is not a professional one (which is the case of Most of the Moroccans back home).
In Morocco where common public ovens are still available, a home-cook will send about a hundred (or more) of these ghriebas in one big baking sheet to bake. Considering the delicate dough and the attention it needs, it could take some extra “tanning” but let me tell you that it’s not damaged as long as it didn’t really burn..Even if it becomes a tiny bit hard, a rest of 24 hours will fix it.
When I saw these ghriebas at my friend’s place before Eid El Fitr, I asked her to take some
to my grandma who was so happy to have Bahla on her tea table. Although it looks overbaked,
 it’s still fine and acceptable for serving.
I have to say that I never had to make ghrieba el behla since it was always made by someone in the family and in all honesty, I never bothered since it has fallen out of favours for a while and I was happy it did: there is not a single Fassi house where it was not served and I was a bit blasée.
Never say never, I miss it so much that I decided to make it. It’s so delicate that it took me 3 recipes and a few tests to get it right.
I was not keen on kneading it for 30 minutes as it used to be done. I don’t own a meat mincer to shortcut that long kneading process (as some people do in Morocco). I was trying to figure out why on earth the new generation of homebakers decided to leave the dough for 24 hours in a closed pressure cooker (also a shortcut to avoid kneading) while others decided to leave it in the fridge overnight (but you still need a meat mincer in this later case).
The logic behind this dough is as follows:
  • The ingredients should amalgamate and the flour should absorb all the fat, even more than a standard shortbread. This was the reason behind the old kneading method.
  • The ghriyba should be melt-in-the-mouth to the teethless mouths. It should expand to get that curvy shape it’s meant to have.
A special baking sheet for ghrieba (baked on the curvy the back side)
while the front side is for other bakes
Texture: since baking powder was invented and found its way to Morocco, it has enhanced the texture of El Behla. So that helped in the overall texture.
Fat: old recipes used a butter which was rather previously clarified, and sometimes, mixed with oil before being clarified. This sort of butter was used in baking and lasted more than the other fresh butter especially during hot days.
I had very old recipes using this sort of clarified butter (mixed with oil) and other recipes using clarified butter and oil. Bottom line: using both (oil and butter) is good to help the dough spread and keep the melt-in-the-mouth effect.

The crackling effect: baking the dough starting from the top grill then baking the bottom is a known trick even to all those who make the modern version of El bahla (sadly without the curvy look in most of the cases, even in Morocco). Now these cracks should not damage the edges and should stay within their limit.
The edges: due to the curvy look, edges should be thiner than the center, but slightly thick is also fine. This actually depends on how it’s been patted before the dough was placed in the baking pan. I have given more pressure in the middle with my finger while usually the light flattening of the small dough balls should be between the palms and that’s it. But it’s not big deal as the texture and the crack are all what matter.
The additions: toasted sesame seeds, fried pre-blanched almonds and cinnamon happen to be wonderful additions which made this ghriyba taste even better. I don’t see the addition of vanilla with good eyes though!
Curvy vs not curvy bottom: as I mentioned before, it has become quite common to see a flat-bottomed ghrieba behla in Morocco. So don’t feel guilty if you can’t make it curvy. Some people do not even bother buying the special baking sheet even in the heart of Morocco. It’s a fading tradition unfortunately. I was recently asked to explain what was that baking sheet for and the question came from a 20ish years old Moroccan girl.
The old recipes for ghrieba behla all came in ratios and ingredients were weighted using a bowl. I have converted the recipe used in this post.

 

This is how ghriba behla it kneaded and shaped traditionally.

 

Warning: you need to know your oven very well to make this recipe. The reason why I missed some tests is because the oven in my rented flat is a small bad overheating oven. But I ultimately got it in the 3rd round.
Ghriyba from the back. Y = good ghrieba behla. N = not good at all

 

 
From left to right: 1- Good shape and crackling patterns but needs more colour.
2- Acceptable but cracks are getting to the edges. 3- Bad shape and cracks.
4- Overbaked while inside is still pale, cracks too big
 
Ingredients
Makes 50 +++ ghriebas/depending on the size
Prep: 30 min – Resting time: 3 to 12 hours – Baking: 20 min/baking sheet
  • 400 g all purpose flour (+/- 50 g)
  • 100 g fine durum semolina flour
  • 120 g of fine sugar or 50%-50% fine and icing sugar (add 30 g if you like it sweet)
  • A pinch of salt
  • 150 ml of melted butter (clarified in case butter contains less than +82% fat)
  • 1/2 tsp of smen (Moroccan cured clarified and preserved butter)
  • 100 ml of vegetable oil
  • 14 g of baking powder

 

Optional (but highly advisable)
  • 100 g of unhulled sesame seeds (Toasted in a pan and shake until they become fragrant)
  • 100 g of blanched almonds, fried and coarsely ground
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon ( I like the warmth it brings to the ghrieba)
Sizes may vary by ideally, a good size should be
about 5 cm diametre (bottom left)
Preparation
You can either knead this dough for 30 minutes (the old way) and bake it straight away or do the following:
Use either a food processor (for 5 minutes with a few stops), a Kitchen Aid for 10 minutes with speed 2 then 3 (fitted with a paddle) or just a worktop to mix all the ingredients except the baking powder. If you are using a food processor, Do not add the nuts at this stage.
The flour should absorb all the fat. Knead if for 10 minutes using the palm of your hands. You may use the paddles for 10 minutes but I tend to prefer the hands in this case as they give a better result.
Make sure the flour is absorbed all the fat.
Transfer the dough in a deep container and seal with a cling film. Place in the fridge for 3 to 12 hours.
Add the baking powder and the nuts and give the dough a few pulses during 1 min. Make sure that all the dough has been processed that way (use your hands to scrap off the sticky bottom, mix the dough and put it back if you have to).
Preheat the oven at 170 degrees C.
Form small dough balls of approx. 25 g (you will get the hang of it in no time and produce equal balls).
I made the mistake of flattening the middle with my finger, avoid that and just place it
between the palm of your hands and flatten it lightly (for a traditional thin edge).
Lightly flatten the dough balls and place them on the baking sheet (no need to grease the sheets).
Place the baking sheet at the lower shelf of the oven and start by position “grill or broiler” for about 5 to 6 minutes until it start discolouring. It may not crack now but not fully.
Turn off the broiler and bake the bottom for about 15-20 minutes but bring the baking sheet to the middle of the oven. You will have to sacrifice one as it will break once you move it to check the colour of its bottom which should look nicely and uniformly golden (see picture below).
A very nice golden colour from the bottom side of El behla
Set aside to cool for a few minutes before transferring it on a grill to cool completely.
Store in airtight containers for up to 10 days and keep them in a dark place. Freeze the extra ghriyba especially if you live in a very hot area of the world.
Feeling in the mood of trying other Moroccan ghriybas (absolutely easy to make)?

 

Moroccan almond, walnut and raisins Ghrouiba or ghrieba- A gluten-free recipe

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Ghrouiba is a sort of round-shaped cookie which is usually compared to macaroons. They come in different varieties and range from soft to shortbread-like in term of texture.

Ghrouiba, ghreybah, ghorayeba, ghriyeba all refer to the concept of that roud-shaped cookie accross the Arab world but the recipes are so different from Morocco all the way to Lebanon.

In Morocco, we have wide array of Ghrouibas, which by the way can be gluten-free. Please check other recipes which I have posted before under “Sweet Moroccan biscuits and co”. Although it’s a small samplw of what Moroccan baking has to offer but It just happens that these are my favourite.

Today, we’ll be talking about a Ghrouiba that could become your new energy bar. Very much indeed. It’s mostly prepared with almonds, walnuts and dried seedless raisins/sultanas. Plus, It’s not too sweet. It’s just a treat that goes well with coffee or tea besides the goodness from its ingredients. This is my auntie Zakia’s recipe.

These ghrouibas are best consumed 48 hrs after being prepared because the flavours will have time to mature and complete each other.

This is a very easy recipe where you only need a bowl or two, a food processor and a baking tray.

It’s freezer-friendly (you know I like that!). However, you really need to pick good walnut halves, not the rancid or bitter stuff. And like any nut, heat your oven at 170 degrees and give them a new life by roasting them for 8 to 10 minutes without burning them.

Ingredients
Makes  +30 ghrouibas
Prep: 12 min (active time) – Baking: 12- 15 min

  •  500 g ground almond (blanched and skined then slightly dried with a towel), see notes
  • 250 g ground walnuts (slightly coarse and not too fine)
  • 100g powdered sugar, see notes
  • 2/3 cup of sultanas/raisins to be soaked in orange blossom water then strained and mixed to form a paste
  • 2 tbsp of melted butter
  • 3 tbsp of apricot jam
  • 3 g baking powder
  • 2 egg yolks or 1 egg
  • Mastic gum, ground with a tsp of sugar (by using to bottom of a glass to crush it or a pestle & mortar)
  • 7 g vanilla sugar
  • A pinch of salt

To decorate

  • 2 egg white
  • 300 g of icing sugar layered in a tray/ plate to form a layer about 5 mm thick

 

Preparation

Pre-soak the sultanas/raisins in orange blossom water. Set aside for at least 2hours to 24 hrs.

Make sure you slightly roast the walnuts as mentioned above. Set it aside to cool. Rub it with your hands to get rid of excess skin.

 

In a food processor, whizz up the walnut to have a coarse texture (not too fine). Place in a bowl.

 

Use the same food processor to mix the sultanas/raisins in order to form a paste.

Bring all the ingredients together and give a few pulses to form a sticky paste/dough.

Shaping the Ghrouibas

Form dough balls between 3 and 5 cm depending how you like it (small or medium size). The dough is sticky and it might become disturbing. We usually keep a bowl of orange blossom water on the side to dip in our fingers. You could also use the back of a knife to scrape off the sticky dough.

If orange blossom water is expensive in your area, use oil or water to lubricate/humidify your hands.

Take each ball with your fingers holding it from the edges bit towards the bottom, dip the top in the egg white and then place it in the icing sugar.

Carry on with the rest of the dough.

Before getting these ghrouibas out of the icing sugar plate, make sure you slightly press them for 2 reasons:

1/ to slightly flatten them.
2/ to get more icing sugar sticking at their surface.

I didn’t decorate all my ghrouibas with a walnut halve because I found out that this cause a crack. If you are ok with that, go ahead with this option.

Baking and storing

Bake the ghrouibas until you see a bit of crust forming and taking a slightly golden colour due to the egg white glazing and the icing sugar. I also pick one ghrouiba to check the texture: It should have a bit of a crust while the inside is bouncy and chewy but not runny.

Usually, it takes anywhere between 12 to 15 min depending on the size of the balls and the size of your oven.

Once cool, store the Ghrouibas in a cookie box or freeze them. Thaw them before serving.

I like these ghrouibas 2 days after preparing them. Ideally, they’ll be fine within 2 weeks if the weather is not too hot.

Notes
 

 

1 / You can use almons with skin on for half of the almond quantity. 

The almonds are there as a base but not for their taste. So even if they don’t taste very almond-y, do not be tempted to add almond extract.

2 / This recipe is using raisins/sultanas and jam to bring sweetness.Therefore, if the sultanas are very sweet, reduce the amont of powdered sugar in the mixed dough to 80 g.

 

Version Française de la recette

Ingredients
Pour plus de 30 ghrouibas
Prep: 15 min (temps actif)- Cuisson: 12-15 min

  •  500 g d’amandes bien moulues (blanchies, mondées et séchées)
  • 250 g de noix en poudre (corse et pas trop fine)
  • 100g de sucre glace
  • ½  petit bol de raisins trempés dans un peu de fleur d’oranger ensuite égouttés et réduits en pâte
  • 2 c.à.s de beurre fondu
  • 3 c.à.s de confiture d’abricot
  • 3 g de levure chimique
  • 2 jaunes d’œufs ou 1 œuf 
  • Gomme arabique (réduite en poudre en la mélangeant avec une cc de sucre et en l’écrasant avec le fond d’un verre, ou un mortier)
  • 7 g de sucre vanillé
  • Une pincée de sel

Pour décorer

  • 2 blancs d’œufs
  • 300 g de sucre en poudre étalée sur une couche d’environ 5 mm d’épaisseur 

Préparation

Dans un robot, mélangez tous les ingrédients afin d’avoir une pâte qui sera un peu collante.

Former des boules de 3 à 5 cm de diamètre jusqu’à épuisement de la pâte.

Trempez le haut des ghrouibas dans le blanc d’œuf et ensuite dans du sucre glace. 

Aplatissez légèrement chaque boule:

1/ Afin qu’elle prenne une jolie forme de ghrouiba
2/ Afin qu’il y ait plus de sucre glace qui couvre le haut.

La pâte est collante et à un moment ça devient embêtant. Pour y remédier, gardez un bol d’eau de fleur d’oranger ou d’eau, ou alors un peu d’huile pour humecter vos mains. Vous aurez aussi besoin de les racler avec le dos d’un couteau ou une spatule en métal afin de vous débarrasser de la pâte qui aura collé.

Cuire les ghrouibas jusqu’à ce que vous voyez que ça croûte tout en prenant une couleur légèrement dorée en raison dela présence du blanc d’œuf ainsi que du sucre glace sur la surface.

Généralement, je prends une ghrouibas pour vérifier la texture : Il doit y avoir un peu de croûte. En même temps, il faut que l’intérieur soit moelleux au toucher mais pas liquide.

Habituellement, cela prend environ entre12 à 15 mn selon la taille des ghrouibas ainsi que la grandeur du four.

Une fois refroidies, transférez les ghrouibas dans une boîte à biscuits ou les congeler.  
Décongelez avant de servir.

J’aime ces ghrouibas2 jours après leur préparation. Idéalement, elles seront bonnes pendant 2 semaines s’il ne fait pas trop chaud.

Notes 

1/ vous pouvez utiliser la moitié des amandes avec leur peau. A ce propos, les amandes sont là en tant que base mais pas pour donner un gout. Donc même si elles n’ont pas trop le gout de l’amande, ce n’est pas la peine de le renforcer avec l’essence d’amande.

2/ Cette recette repose en grande partie sur les raisins et la confiture pour renforcer l’attribut sucre. Par conséquent, si les raisins utilises sont de bonne qualité et sucrées, incorporez juste 80 de sucre en poudre au mélange de pâte.