Ghoriba, Almond Macaroons

Since I wanted to try a Moroccan dessert, I picked Ghoriba cookies. I know desserts tend to be less sweet than ours in America but I thought these were plain. Maybe if I had roasted the almonds then it could have made a difference but I'm unsure. My son did like them but they weren't sweet enough for my daughter. They are easy to make.  I was hoping it would be like a Mexican wedding cookie but it isn't. I was thinking it has lots of potential. The recipe called for orange blossom water for decoration but I couldn't find any and didn't want to order it online. I used plain water since it is only used to moisten the dough to roll it into powdered sugar. They have a soft interior with a crunchy exterior.

Ghoriba, Almond Macaroons
1/2 lb. almonds, blanched and peeled
4 oz. powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon zest
(orange blossom) water & powdered sugar for decoration

Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. In a food processor, process the almonds twice to make a moist almond paste. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, beat the powdered sugar with the egg.
5. Add the almond paste, baking powder, butter, vanilla, and lemon zest to the powdered sugar mixture.
6. Using the water to dampen your hands, moisten the dough to form one inch balls.
7. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to coat. 
8. Place the cookies onto the baking sheet. 
9. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until golden. 
10. Remove from oven and coat the cookies with additional powdered sugar. 
11. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe adapted from Aboutfood.

Two years ago...................................I made Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Three years ago................................I made Lemon Tassies.

Did you already know..............................
-Ghoriba is a generic term for a Moroccan hand rolled cookies.
-A crinkled top is desired for a Ghoriba cookie.
-The cookies range from being like a shortbread to a macaroon.

Dulce de Leche Macaroons

This week's Project Pastry Queen was picked by Missy of Creative Missy. The Macaroons are rich, sweet, and delicious. My youngest daughter loves Dulce de Leche so she thought I should shouldn't be adding it to coconut but these are good. My Mom loves Macaroons and she liked them. 

I didn't add anything else to the batch I made. You can add chocolate or toasted almonds but I kept it simple. I wish I had thought to add English toffee to them since I have been making English fare but next time I will. My next post will be back to my culinary English journey.

Dulce de Leche Macaroons
1 can of Dulce de Leche (click here for recipe)
3 cups lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cooled Dulce de Leche, coconut, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
4. Using a 1 3/4 inch diameter scoop, spoon a firmly packed spoonful of the coconut mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Space the coconut mixture about 1 1/2 inches apart.
5. With a wet fingertip, lightly flatten the coconut mixture gently.
6. Bake the Macaroons for 12 to 14 minutes. The edges should be dark brown and crisp.
7. Allow the Macaroons to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen cookbook by Rebecca Rather.

Did you already know...
-Toffee became popular in England in the late 1800s.
-In 1889, a toffee house owned by Mrs. Bushell was located outside the Everton Football Club (Everton FC).
-Many football patrons purchased vast quantities of the toffee.
-In 1892, the football club was moved and Mrs. Bushell received permission to sell her toffee inside the football stadium before the games.
-The Everton FC's nickname is The Toffees.
-In America, Everton FC is a soccer team.