Greek Christmas Almond Shortbread Cookies Kourabiedes Food

GREEK SHORTBREAD COOKIES (KOURABIEDES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and ½ cup icing sugar well. Add the vanilla.
• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the nuts and stir. Add the flour-nut mixture to the butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Chill the dough before shaping for 30 minutes to 1 hour so easier to work with.
• Roll into 1½-inch balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake until lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cookies and sprinkle with icing sugar. Makes about 28 to 30 cookies.

KOURAMBIETHES (GREEK ALMOND SHORTBREADS)

Steps:

• Gently melt the butter over low heat in a small heavy-based saucepan; without stirring or shaking the pan. Carefully pour the clear butter into another container, leaving the white sediment in the pan to be discarded. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
• Grind the slivered almonds to a medium fine meal.
• In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the chilled butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar and combine well. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and ouzo and beat until just combined. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and the almond meal.
• Shape heaped tablespoons of mixture into crescents, place on the baking trays and bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly colored.
• Remove from the oven and dust liberally with icing sugar. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust the paper with icing sugar. Lift the warm biscuits onto this and dust again with the icicng sugar. When the biscuits are cool, dust them once again with the icing sugar before storing them in an airtight container.

ALMOND CRESCENTS (KOURABIEDES)

Steps:

• Spread ground almonds in a shallow pan and toast in a 350F degrees oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
• In a bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar and egg yolk, mixing well. Stir in brandy or vanilla and almonds.
• In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending until smooth.
• Pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough and shape into crescents. Place on ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in a 325F degree oven for 30 minutes or until very lightly browned. Place baking sheets on racks and let cookies cool for 5 minutes.
• Sift about half the 1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar over wax paper and transfer cookies to it. Sift the remaining 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar over top to cover cookies. Let stand until cool, then store in a tightly covered container.