SHORTBREAD RINGS (GH'RAYBEH)

Shortbread Rings (Gh'raybeh) image

Yield Makes 34 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 8

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2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon rose water, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon orange-flower water, or to taste
34 whole blanched almonds or shelled natural pistachios (1/4 cup)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Beat together flour, sugar, butter, shortening, cardamom, rose water, and orange-flower water in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until a smooth dough forms.
Roll dough into walnut-size balls, then roll each ball into a 5-inch rope. Form each rope into a 2-inch circle, overlapping ends slightly. Press a nut into each cookie at overlap.
Arrange cookies, 1 inch apart, on 2 ungreased baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until dry to the touch but still white, 20 to 22 minutes total. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.