Chocolate Ghoriba

Have you ever wondered what mixing almonds and chocolate would produce ? In Morocco we call such a mix Chocolate Ghoriba. It’s the ideal coffee or tea cookie and it is sure to become one of your favorites.

What is a Ghoriba Cookie ?

Ghoriba cookies are Moroccan crinkly cookies. The most common version are what we call Ghoriba Bahla (a crumbly vanilla cookie) and Coconut Ghoriba. Those are all well and good, however, I believe that Chocolate Ghoriba, the Moroccan Chocolate Crinkle Cookie is in a class of its own.

In texture, Ghoriba is chewy, dense and ideal candidate for coffee dipping. In taste, it resembles an Amaretto Cookie.

If you have never made a Moroccan cookie before then this is probably the best place to start. Making Ghoriba is very easy and straightforward. It’s just like making a drier version of regular cookies, with almond extract and oil instead of butter.

How to make Chocolate Ghoriba

1. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla & almond extracts) together with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Be patient and keep whisking, as this will help make your mixture lighter.

   

2. Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (flour, cacao powder, baking powder, salt) and use a spatula to mix. Mix slowly and carefully at first to avoid losing some of your dry ingredients on your work surface.

3. Once it’s mostly all mixed together, use your hands to bring the dough together, incorporating all the ingredients together nicely. Mix until the sides of the bowl are clean. Flatten the dough in the center of the bowl.

   

4. Cover with plastic wrap by pressing the plastic wrap onto the dough to cover it completely, and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours. You can also let it cool in the fridge overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 385°F and prepare 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Separate the cooled dough into 20 gram balls (approximately a heaped tsp), roll into balls, and set aside. This will yield you approximately 44-46 cookies.

7. Coat the dough balls in icing sugar and set on the prepared cookie sheet, with at least 1 inch of space between the cookies. Optional: If you want a flatter cookie, you can press the dough balls lightly with your thumb to flatten them out. You can also place a walnut, or almond at the center of your cookie!

   

After baking, your cookies should come out soft to the touch and crinkly. Just like this one :

Recipe Card

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Chocolate Ghoriba

Have you ever wondered what mixing almonds and chocolate would produce ? In Morocco we call such a mix Chocolate Ghoriba. It's the ideal coffee or tea cookie and it is sure to become one of your favorites.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Moroccan

Keyword Almond, Chocolate, Cookies, Easy, Ghoriba, Moroccan, Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Chilling the dough 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 45 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla & almond extracts) together with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Be patient and keep whisking, as this will help make your mixture lighter.

2. Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (flour, cacao powder, baking powder, salt) and use a spatula to mix. Mix slowly and carefully at first to avoid losing some of your dry ingredients on your work surface.

3. Once it's mostly all mixed together, use your hands to bring the dough together, incorporating all the ingredients together nicely. Mix until the sides of the bowl are clean. Flatten the dough in the center of the bowl.

4. Cover with plastic wrap by pressing the plastic wrap onto the dough to cover it completely, and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours. You can also let it cool in the fridge overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 385°F and prepare 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Separate the cooled dough into 20 gram balls (approximately a heaped tsp), roll into balls, and set aside. This will yield you approximately 44-46 cookies.

7. Coat the dough balls in icing sugar and set on the prepared cookie sheet, with at least 1 inch of space between the cookies. Optional: If you want a flatter cookie, you can press the dough balls lightly with your thumb to flatten them out.

8. Bake in a 385°F oven for 15-16 minutes. Let cool-down for 5 minutes before moving from baking sheet. Enjoy!