Kourabiedes

Kourabiedes (Greek Almond Shortbread Cookies)

These buttery, almond-rich shortbread cookies are a Greek Christmas tradition, baked until pale and crumbly, then rolled in a snowfall of icing sugar while still warm.

Prep

30 min

Cook

20 min

Total

50 min

Serves

30 cookies

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8.8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• •100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar (confectioners' sugar), sifted, plus extra for coating, about 200 g (7 oz) extra for rolling
• •150 g (5.3 oz) blanched almonds, toasted and finely ground, use a food processor; do not over-grind into paste
• •350 g (12.3 oz) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• •1 tbsp rosewater, or orange blossom water
• •1 tsp vanilla extract
• •1 pinch salt
• •30 whole cloves (optional), for decorating, one per cookie

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2 In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
3. 3 Add the rosewater, vanilla extract, and salt; beat until combined.
4. 4 Stir in the ground almonds and then the flour, mixing with a spatula or your hands until a soft, slightly crumbly dough forms. Do not overwork; knead just until it comes together.
5. 5 Take about 1 tablespoon of dough (about 20 g / 0.7 oz) and shape into a crescent or round ball. If using cloves, press one clove into the center of each cookie.
6. 6 Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 cm (¾ inch) apart.
7. 7 Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the cookies are just set and the edges are very lightly golden - they should not brown. The bottoms will be pale golden.
8. 8 Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. While still warm (but not too hot to handle), gently roll each cookie in a bowl of extra icing sugar to coat completely. Place on a wire rack.
9. 9 Once completely cool, roll in icing sugar again for a thick, snowy coating. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.