Egyptian Chocolate Betefour Cookies (Shortbread Cookies)

Much like my mom’s famous Holiday Cookies she makes every year, these Egyptian Betefour Cookies have the same reputation. Betefour is very similar to shortbread cookies in their ingredients and texture. They are incredibly soft and buttery. These cookies are a staple in Egypt and are baked during many major holidays such as Christmas and Easter. I grew up eating these cookies and I’m excited to share this little piece of holiday cheer with everyone else.

USING A COOKIE PRESS MACHINE

The first thing you need to know about these betefour cookies is that the batter is very light, fluffy and almost fragile to work with. Because of the delicacy of the batter, it’s very helpful to use a Cookie Press machine to shape the dough. The cookie press helps create perfectly formed cookies without you having to worry about them falling apart. Once they’re baked, the cookies will still be fairly soft, so it’s best to let them cool completely before handling them.

DECORATING THE BETEFOUR COOKIES

Once the cookies have cooled completely, you can start the fun part: decorating them! Traditionally, my mom would actually top them with sprinkles before baking them. But since I’ve adapted the recipe, I usually like decorating them after they’re baked. Since these cookies are not overwhelmingly sweet on their own, dipping them in melted chocolate is a great addition! While the chocolate is still wet, you can add any colored sprinkles you’d like depending on the occasion. I’ll usually pop the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes or so after decorating to help the chocolate harden faster.

Everything about these betefour cookies puts me in the holiday spirit! From the sweet cookie batter aroma that fills my kitchen to the fun time spent decorating them. They’re an Egyptian holiday tradition that brings back great memories every time I make them. And I hope this recipe will help you include them into your holiday baking plans as well! Read on to see the full recipe for these Egyptian Betefour Cookies.  Enjoy!

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EGYPTIAN CHOCOLATE BETEFOUR COOKIES

Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

36

cookies

Prep time

20

minutes

Bake time

10

minutes

Calories

62

kcal

These Egyptian Chocolate Betefour Cookies are a staple in many Egyptian households during the holidays! Incredibly soft and buttery!

Ingredients

• 2 ½ Tbs baking cocoa

• 1 cup & 1 Tbs softened butter, divided

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 Tbs milk

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 2 cups flour

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tsp baking powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of butter with the baking cocoa until well blended. Set aside for now
• In a separate bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of softened butter with the powdered sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and milk. Mix on medium until well combined and very smooth
• Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix together by HAND or SPATULA (do not use a mixer for this part as it will change the consistency of the dough)
• Next, add the cocoa and butter mixture you prepared earlier into the bowl with all the ingredients. Mix well until everything is well combined and smooth (you might need to knead the batter with your hands at this point to evenly distribute the baking cocoa)
• Once everything is blended well, use a Cookie Press machine to form your cookies into different shapes. Put as much dough as will fit in the cookie press machine and choose whichever shapes you like (usually the kit comes with several cookie discs to choose from)
• Press the machine unto a NON-GREASED baking pan and pull the trigger to form the cookies (the dough will be fairly fragile once it’s shaped, so make sure you press the machine directly unto the pan otherwise it will be difficult to move the shaped dough once it’s pressed)
• Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes (Cookies will burn easily if you leave them in too long)
• Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely. You can dip the cookies in melted chocolate and top with sprinkles if desired. Place in fridge for 10 minutes to let the chocolate harden
• 10. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.