December 9, 2012

Lebanese Butter Cookies for the Christmas Season #SundaySupper

Lebanese Butter Cookies for the Christmas Season #SundaySupper

Lebanese Butter Cookies – Ghraybi (or Ghraybeh)

Delicate.

That’s how I would describe these cookies. Delicate with a soft, understated sweetness. These cookies certainly make an impression.

Family & Tradition

There’s nothing like tradition to bind a family together. Our family is no different. We have lots of traditions that bind us together: the birthday crawfish boils for my girls, our favorite Mardi Gras parades, the Greek Fest every May, just to name a few. 😉 And then there’s the Advent wreath, our favorite novenas and prayers, and these “famous” Lebanese Butter Cookies for Christmas. As a matter of fact, these cookies are a sign for us that Christmas is near.

The Lebanese Connection

I am not Lebanese, but my wife is. At least her family is. I have come to love and appreciate the Lebanese culture, music, dance and cuisine very much. In our house we regularly roll Grape Leaves, make Hummus and Tabouleh, and cook with lamb.

Every year at Christmas family gatherings, my wife’s Aunt Rita used to make her special version of these cookies. That’s why I say that these cookies are a sign for us that Christmas is near.

Aunt Rita passed away a couple of years ago. Char (my wife) made these Lebanese Butter Cookies last Christmas. And just last weekend a cousin made them for a big family gathering. We miss Aunt Rita. But I think should would be happy to see that these cookies are still very much a part of our family Christmas.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup drawn butter, chilled in refrigerator until congealed (we prefer Kerrygold)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups flour

DIRECTIONS

  1. Throughly cream the butter (see details below). Add the sugar and continue creaming 5 to 10 minutes, until fluffy. Add flour and work with hands until smooth. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
  2. Shape into 1/2 inch thick rounds. If you want to add a little lagniappe,  press the center of each cookie with your thumb and place a blanched almond in the indention.
  3. Place cookies on un-greased baking sheet. Bake in oven at 300 for 13 to 15 minutes. Cookies will be very pale in color. Let the cookies stay in the baking sheet for 6 hours, or until completely cooled. These cookies are very flaky. They will easily fall apart if you try to move them when they are warm.

This recipe yields 2 to 3 dozen Lebanese Butter Cookies.

How to Properly Cream Butter

To cream butter well, the butter has to first be softened at room temperature. You will know that the butter is soft enough when it offers little resistance to a knife. Just don’t over-soften the butter. Melted, oily butter does not cream well.

Using a hand mixer, beat the butter on low speed briefly, making it creamy. Add in the sugar and continue beating on low to combine. Once the sugar and butter are combined, increase the speed to medium and continue beating.

Continuing to beat the butter results in increased volume. The butter will become creamy and start to pale.

Properly creamed butter has an off-white color.

My friend Isabel at FamilyFoodie.com has cooked up a special Cookie Exchange this week for #SundaySupper. Here’s what she has to say about this week’s #SundaySupper:

There is something about hosting a Cookie Exchange that is so perfect for the Holiday Season.  Although we are hosting a Virtual Cookie Exchange, the Sunday Supper team will gather Around the Family Table on Sunday Night at 7:00 o’clock Eastern Time on Twitter to enjoy a grand selection of cookies.
This Week, Sunday Supper has  a special host who knows all about Cookies.  Janet Keeler, Food & Travel Editor for the Tampa Bay Times and Author of Cookielicious will be joining us with tips on baking for the Ultimate Cookie Exchange and to answer any of your baking questions.   Grab a glass of milk and join us for The Ultimate Cookie Exchange during #SundaySupper this week.  We are giving away 5 signed copies of Cookielicious with 150 fabulous recipes to bake and share.

The Sunday Supper Favorite Cookie Exchange Cookies:

Check out Cookielicious by Food Editor Janet K. Keeler from The Tampa Bay Times now while there is a special… Buy One Cookielicious Cookbook and get one for a friend!

Do you have a favorite cookie to take to a Cookie Exchange?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 9th.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper Ultimate Cookie Exchange live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your recipe for The Ultimate Cookie Exchange on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.

***Photo of creamed butter courtesy of alibash on Flickr.com.***