Egyptian Betefour Cookies {GF, DF}

A couple days before Eid, I really wanted to feel the festive vibes and bake traditional Egyptian butter cookies called Betefour. I would always bake betefour cookies with my grandmother when I was in Egypt to celebrate the end of Ramadan. All bakeries sold these cookies in Egypt to celebrate Eid, along with other traditional cookies such as Kahk. I was looking for a gluten free, dairy free Egyptian Betefour recipe but I couldn't find any, so I decided to take my grandma's authentic Egyptian recipe and adjust the ingredients. The only changes I made was swap the regular flour with XXX gluten free flour and add ground anise to give it a sweet floral flavor. The flour blend differs from brand to brand and makes a difference with the texture of the cookies so make sure its the same. I followed the exact recipe and methods below and was so surprised with the final baked betefour cookies. They tasted so buttery and authentic, no one would guess they are gluten and dairy free.

After tasting the cookies and feeling so satisfied with the consistency and flavors, I decided I'm never gonna give up on making my family's cherished yummy recipes that I've been craving ever since I became gluten and dairy free. So what if I can't have gluten or dairy! I'll never know how tasty my adjusted recipes are without trying them out. They might even taste better. Don't let anything get in the way of your happiness. Taking a different path to the same destination won't change it, so go ahead and give it a try. If you decide to try any of your old recipes with your own adjustments, let me know how they turn out!

And remember, live beautifully and happily.

Warmly,

N.A.S.

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Egyptian Betefour Cookies Recipe

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Ingredients

• 2 eggs at room temperature

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup canola oil, melted butter, or ghee

• 2.5 - 3 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1Gluten Free Flour

• 2 tsp.baking powder

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp. cacao powder

• 1 tbsp. ground anise

Directions

1. Whisk oil and sugar in the wet ingredients bowl until its creamy.

2. Add eggs and vanilla extract.

3. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and ground anise.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry bowl and whisk until it's a soft dough texture.

5. Separate the dough into two bowls. Add the cacao powder to one bowl and knead the dough with your hands. Add flour teaspoon by teaspoon to both bowls if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is thick enough to form into small balls without sticking to your fingers, its ready!

6. Spray the baking sheets with oil, then heat your oven at 350 ° F.

7. Form balls that are 1 inch x 1 inch for a small bite treat.

8. Flatten the dough gently in the middle with your finger.

9. Press any design onto the top of the dough with a fork or stensil

10. Place your baking sheets in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown.

11. Let rest for 15 minutes.

12. Add strawberry or apricot jam in between two cookies to make a sandwich or enjoy plain with tea!