Moroccan Cookies with Evaporated Milk – Ghoriba au Lait Concentré (Purisima)

Ghriebas or ghoribas with evaporated milk are  soft-textured, cake-like Moroccan cookies flavored with lemon zest. They’re quite easy to make and perfect for an afternoon snack or tea time.

As the name suggests, evaporated milk is an essential ingredient in the dough. In Morocco, you’ll find it sold as lait concentré non-sucre under the brand name Purisima.

Get your kids involved by having them roll and shape the dough. I suggest making the cookies small or in petite form to keep them elegant enough for company.

For variety, you can dip all or some of the cookies in orange flower water and then coconut before baking. Once baked, the cookies are garnished with a quick dusting of powdered sugar.

You might be tempted to serve them right away, but I find that the texture and flavor of Ghoriba au Lait Concentré improve overnight.

Moroccan Cookies with Evaporated Milk - Ghoriba au Lait Concentré (Purisima)

Christine Benlafquih | Taste of Maroc

These soft, cake-like Moroccan ghoribas are flavored with evaporated milk and lemon zest. An easy-to-make tea time treat or after school snack.

4.68 from 76 votes

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Prep Time 35 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Cookies

Cuisine Moroccan

Yield 50 cookies (2"or 5 cm)

Calories 50 kcal

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened evaporated milk - (Purisima)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 to 2 tsp vanilla - (or 1 to 2 envelopes vanilla-flavored sugar)
• zest from 1 or 2 lemons
• 1 pinch of salt
• 4 cups flour - (approx.; use more or less as needed)

For Garnish

• powdered sugar
• orange flower water
• desiccated coconut

Instructions

 

Mix the Dough

• There's no need for an electric mixer as the dough is quite easy to mix by hand. In a large bowl, use a large spoon or whisk to beat the eggs and oil until frothy.
• Add the evaporated milk, powdered sugar, baking powder, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Stir or whisk until smooth, then mix in just enough flour (start with 3.5 cups and add more as needed) to make a very soft, manageable dough that can be shaped into balls. 

Shape and Bake the Cookies

• Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Take small portions of dough and roll them into small balls the size of walnuts. Flatten each ball by gently pressing or patting it into a thick disc shape. (If you like, at this point you can dip the dough in orange flower water and then in coconut.) Place the shaped dough on the lined baking sheets, spaced about two inches (5 cm) apart.  
• Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, for about 15 minutes, until lightly colored or pale golden. Remove from the oven and transfer the parchment paper with the cookies to a rack to cool. 

Garnish and Store the Cookies

• Use a strainer or sifter to dust the cookies with powdered sugar. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the freezer for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 5mgPotassium: 57mgSugar: 2gVitamin A: 15IUCalcium: 24mgIron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in the nutritional information.

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