Traditional Moroccan shortbread

Ingredients

• 250 g Unsalted butter (82% fat) (At room temperature, not melted)
• 3 Eggs (Medium to large size)
• 250 g Powdered sugar (Sift before use)
• 1 pinch Salt
• 130 g Sunflower oil (Approximately 130 ml)
• 1 packet Vanilla sugar or vanilla extract (Or 1 tsp liquid extract)
• 950 g Type 45 flour (Sift before incorporation)
• As desired Apricot jam (or seedless red fruit jam) (For assembly, optional)
• As desired White chocolate (For decorating, optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients

   Take the butter out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature (or heat for 5‑10 s in the microwave without melting). Measure all ingredients.

   Time: PT5M

2. Cream the butter with the powdered sugar

   In the bowl, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla sugar until a very smooth and pale mixture is obtained.

   Time: PT5M

3. Incorporate the oil and eggs

   Pour the sunflower oil, then add the three eggs all at once. Mix until the dough is homogeneous.

   Time: PT4M

4. Add the flour gradually

   Fold in the sifted flour little by little, mixing gently with the spatula or mixer on low speed, until a supple dough that does not stick to the fingers is obtained.

   Time: PT6M

5. Shape and refrigerate the dough

   Divide the dough into 4 balls, wrap them in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

   Time: PT10M

6. Roll out the dough

   On two sheets of parchment paper, roll one ball of dough to 2 mm thickness using the rolling pin. Use the paper to prevent the dough from sticking.

   Time: PT8M

7. Cool the rolled dough

   Place the rolled dough (still between the two papers) in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to firm up.

   Time: PT5M

8. Cut the cookies

   Remove the top paper, cut the desired shapes with cookie cutters and transfer the cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Time: PT7M

9. Bake

   Bake the sheet in the middle of the pre‑heated fan‑forced oven at 170 °C. Cook 10‑12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but not browned.

   Time: PT12M

   Temperature: 170°C

10. Cool the cookies

    Remove the sheet, let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the rack before handling.

    Time: PT10M

11. Repeat with remaining dough

    Repeat steps 6 to 10 with the three remaining portions of dough until all dough is used.

    Time: PT30M

12. Garnish (optional)

    Once the shortbread cookies are completely cooled, garnish them with apricot jam, salted butter caramel or drizzles of melted chocolate as desired.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

110

Protein

1 g

Carbohydrates

12 g

Fat

7 g

Fiber

0.2 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Unsalted butter (82% fat): Margarine (unsalted), Clarified butter
• Instead of Eggs: Liquid egg (3/4 cup), Apple sauce puree (¼ cup per egg)
• Instead of Powdered sugar: Granulated sugar blended in a mixer
• Instead of Sunflower oil: Canola oil, Peanut oil
• Instead of Vanilla sugar or vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract, Scraped vanilla bean
• Instead of Type 45 flour: All‑purpose flour
• Instead of Apricot jam (or seedless red fruit jam): Strawberry jam, Orange marmalade
• Instead of White chocolate: Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate

Equipment Needed

• Stainless steel or glass bowl
• Electric mixer or manual whisk
• Kitchen scale
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Cookie cutter (round, square, etc.)
• Cling film or freezer bag
• Cooling rack
• Spatula or round‑tip knife
• Piping bag (optional) (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• The butter must be at room temperature to achieve a smooth texture.
• Do not over‑work the dough to retain its shortbread character.
• Let the dough rest in the fridge before rolling to prevent cracking.
• Roll the dough to about 2 mm thickness for thin cookies that do not puff up.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Lightly dust with powdered sugar before baking for a sparkling finish.
• Use a rolling pin with adjustable rings to easily reach 2 mm.
• For a more authentic flavor, replace the vanilla sugar with a small split and scraped vanilla bean.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container 5 to 7 days.

Freezer: Wrap in film then place in a freezer bag, up to 2 months.

Room temperature: In a dry place, in a cookie tin, 3 to 5 days.

Make-Ahead Tips

• The dough can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Baked cookies keep well for 5 days, and freeze well too.