Chef Zohra
Fekkas (فقاص)
The Moroccan biscuit that waits well: anise-scented logs baked once, cooled, sliced thin, then baked again until crisp enough for mint tea and generous enough for guests.
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Ghriba Zanjlan
Created by
Sesame ghriba from the Fez medina table: toasted zanjlan ground warm, worked with butter, oil, and orange blossom water until each cookie cracks softly at the top.
Pastries & Cookies
Moroccan
Celebration
Budget Friendly
Make Ahead
25 min
Active Time
15 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield28 cookies
The sesame tells you when it's ready. At first it sits pale and quiet in the pan, then one seed pops, then another, and suddenly the whole kitchen smells nutty and warm, like a stall in the medina when the trays have just come from the oven.
For ghriba zanjlan, don't hurry that first gesture. Toast the sesame gently, then grind most of it while it's still warm, because the oil in the seed wakes up and gives the cookie its deep crumb. Leave some seeds whole for the outside. That contrast, the tender middle and the little sesame bite at the edge, is why this small cake belongs with mint tea and a room that keeps filling.
These are celebration cookies, yes, but they are also budget-wise, make-ahead sweets. You don't need expensive almonds here. You need good sesame, a steady hand, and patience enough to let the dough rest before shaping. La balance est dans les yeux, the scale is in the eyes: the dough should feel soft and oily, not wet, able to hold a ball without cracking in your palm.
Bake them until the tops split and the bottoms turn light gold. Not dark. A ghriba should give under the teeth, then crumble. Put them on a shared plate, pour tea, and leave one more glass ready. Une table, c'est une porte qu'on laisse ouverte.
Ghriba belongs to the broad family of Maghrebi crumbly cookies, with Moroccan versions shaped by city pastry traditions in Fez, Rabat, Tetouan, and Marrakech from at least the early modern period. Sesame traveled deeply through Moroccan cooking by way of Saharan and Mediterranean trade routes, and Fez vendors made zanjlan, sesame, into an economical cookie with the perfume of a feast. The exact dating of ghriba zanjlan is not fixed in written sources, but its place in tea tables, Eid trays, and medina bakeries is living evidence of a city pastry culture carried by hands more than books.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
hulled sesame seeds
Quantity
300g
all-purpose flour
Quantity
180g, plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed
icing sugar
Quantity
140g
sifted
baking powder
Quantity
1 tsp
ground cinnamon
Quantity
1/2 tsp
sea salt
Quantity
1/4 tsp
egg
Quantity
1 large
neutral oil
Quantity
80ml
unsalted butter
Quantity
60g
melted and cooled
orange blossom water
Quantity
1 tbsp
vanilla sugar or vanilla extract (optional)
Quantity
1 tsp vanilla sugar or 1/2 tsp extract
icing sugar
Quantity
2 tbsp
for rolling
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| hulled sesame seeds | 300g |
| all-purpose flour | 180g, plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed |
| icing sugarsifted | 140g |
| baking powder | 1 tsp |
| ground cinnamon | 1/2 tsp |
| sea salt | 1/4 tsp |
| egg | 1 large |
| neutral oil | 80ml |
| unsalted buttermelted and cooled | 60g |
| orange blossom water | 1 tbsp |
| vanilla sugar or vanilla extract (optional) | 1 tsp vanilla sugar or 1/2 tsp extract |
| icing sugarfor rolling | 2 tbsp |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide dry skillet for toasting sesame
- •Food processor or spice mill
- •Rimmed baking sheet
Instructions
- 1
Toast the sesame
Set a wide dry pan over medium-low heat and toast the sesame, stirring often, until it smells nutty and turns pale gold. Do not let it brown hard, or the cookies will taste bitter. Spread it on a tray for 5 minutes, then keep aside 4 tablespoons whole for rolling.
The sesame keeps cooking from its own heat once it leaves the pan, so pull it off when it is fragrant and just colored. - 2
Grind it warm
Grind the remaining warm sesame in a food processor or spice mill until it looks like damp sand with a few fine crumbs, not a paste. This is the step that decides the cookie: warm sesame releases its oil, and that oil gives ghriba zanjlan its tender, nutty crumb.
- 3
Mix the dough
In a bowl, whisk the flour, sifted icing sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the ground sesame, egg, oil, melted butter, orange blossom water, and vanilla if using. Work it by hand until the dough comes together soft and slightly oily. If it smears like paste, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If it breaks dry in your palm, add a small spoon of oil.
- 4
Rest and shape
Cover the dough and rest it for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C. Roll walnut-size balls, about 24g each, then roll them first in the reserved whole sesame and then lightly in icing sugar. Set them on a lined tray with space between them and press each one very gently, just enough to steady it.
- 5
Bake to crack
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops split and the bottoms are light gold. The cookies will still feel tender when lifted, so leave them on the tray for 10 minutes before moving them. That rest finishes the set without drying the crumb.
- 6
Cool and serve
Cool completely before storing. Serve on a shared plate with mint tea or coffee, and don't stack them while warm or the cracked tops will soften. They are better after a few hours, when the sesame and orange blossom have settled into each other.
Chef Tips
- •Buy sesame where turnover is high and smell it before you cook. Fresh zanjlan smells clean and nutty when toasted; tired sesame tastes flat before the dough even begins.
- •Do not grind the sesame to tahini. You want fine crumbs with a little texture, so the cookie crumbles under the teeth instead of turning heavy.
- •The cracks come from the balance of fat, sugar, and heat. If your first tray stays smooth, the dough may be too wet or the oven too low. Add a spoon of flour and let the oven recover before the next tray.
- •Orange blossom water should perfume, not flood. Use a light hand. The sesame is the voice of this cookie.
Advance Preparation
- •Toast and grind the sesame up to 3 days ahead, then keep it airtight in a cool place.
- •The shaped dough balls can be chilled overnight and baked the next day. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.
- •Baked ghriba keep well for 1 week in an airtight tin, with parchment between layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 28g)
Calories
155 calories
Total Fat
10 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
8 g
Cholesterol
10 mg
Sodium
45 mg
Total Carbohydrates
13 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
3 g
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