Moroccan Semolina and Almond Cookies

(From Dorie’s Cookies and reprinted with permission from Dorie Greenspan)

Dorie discovered this cookie while in a French magazine. What she loved about the taste was the cookie’s mysterious layers of favors and “agreeable graininess” in their texture.  What I found appealing was how she described the crevices in the sugar-coated cookies.  In Morocco, where the cookies are from, , she explained the cracks are called “smiles.”  

Ingredients:

 1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tablespoons (294 grams) semolina flour

2 cups (200 grams) almond flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar

1 lemon (you’ll just use the rind)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup (60 ml) flavorless oil, such as canola

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

Confectioners’ sugar, for dredging

Cooking instructions:

1.    Position the rack to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 350⁰ F.

2.    Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

3.    Whisk together the semolina, almond flour, baking powder and salt.

4.    Put the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer.

5.    Finely grate the lemon zest over the sugar, then reach into the bowl and rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

6.    If you are using a stand mixer, fit it with the paddle attachment.

7.    Add the eggs to the sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.

8.    With the mixer running, pour in the oil down the side of the bowl and beat for another 3 minutes.

9.    Beat in the vanilla and the orange flower water, if you’re using it.

10. Turn off the mixer, add half of the ingredients and mix them in on low speed, then repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough, which will be thick.

11. Sift some confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl.

12. For each cookie, spoon out a level Tablespoon of dough, roll it between the palms of your hand and dredge in sugar.

13. Place the balls of dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets, then use your thumb to press down on the center of each cookie, pressing firmly enough to make an indentation and cause the edges to crack.

14. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back after 8 minutes, or until the cookies are ever so lightly colored –they’ll be golden on the bottom –puffed, dramatically cracked and just firm to the touch.

15. Carefully lift the cookies off the sheets and onto racks.

Makes: 38 cookies

Wine recommendations:  Red or white wine

Storing:  The cookies will keep for 4 days in a covered container at room temperature. (Dust them with more confections’ sugar if the sugar seeps into the cookies.)  Because of the sugar coating, these are not good candidates for freezing.