Pronounced “gry-bey,” Ghraybeh means “to swoon” or “faint” in Arabic, and these super-moist butter cookies will surely have you swooning. Ghraybeh are often prepared for festive occasions, like holidays, communions, bridal showers, and weddings. Clarified butter, semolina, and sugar are combined into a sweet, sticky dough, then formed into diamonds and finished with crunchy blanched almonds. 
MAKES 3 DOZEN COOKIES
2 cups Samneh (Clarified Butter, here), refrigerated until cold and solid
1 tablespoon Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 cup semolina (see here)
3½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus extra for hands
36 blanched whole almonds
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Using an electric hand or stand mixer, cream the clarified butter and Crisco together on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy and remains cold. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the sugar, and blend until smooth, making sure it is still cold.
Slowly add the semolina and fold into the butter-sugar mixture. Then, sift the flour into the mixture and mix well with your hands until the dough is soft, pliable, slightly sticky, and still cold. If the consistency is very sticky, add flour by the tablespoon.
Lightly flour your fingers, then take about 3 tablespoons of the dough and roll it on a clean, cold surface into a thin rod, about 1 inch round. Using a sharp knife, cut on the diagonal to create diamond shapes approximately 2 inches long; you should have 36 diamond-shaped cookies. Work quickly while the dough is still cold so that it does not begin to crumble. Then, slide the tip of your knife underneath each piece to pick it up and place it onto an ungreased cookie or baking sheet leaving space in between each one. Place 1 blanched almond in the center of each cookie and lightly press it into the dough.
Bake the cookies on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until just slightly golden but still very white.
Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool on the baking sheet 2 to 3 hours before serving or storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
taboulie tip! Do not remove the cookies until completely cooled or they will crumble!