Traditional Kourabiedes Recipe: Greek Christmas Butter Cookies
The traditional Christmas sweet in a wonderful and proven family recipe that comes from the past, resulting in a biscuity texture and a crumbly consistency that will leave you with an unforgettable taste, accompanied by small secrets for guaranteed success.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 500 grams cow butter at room temperature
- 125 grams milk butter
- ΄1 Kg flour for all uses
- 1/4 teacup almonds unpeeled roasted and chopped
- 1 piece egg yolk
- 1 teacup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teacup rum or cognac
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon clove powder
For the Topping:
- ouzo
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Spread the almonds on a tray and roast them in a preheated oven at 320℉ (160℃) for 8 minutes to toast. Let them cool thoroughly and then grind them in a food processor into coarse pieces.
- In a mixer, beat both types of butter together with powdered sugar for 25 minutes at high speed until the mixture whitens and becomes fluffy.
- Add rum or cognac, egg yolk, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract. Beat until the ingredients are well combined.
- Empty the mixture into a deep bowl and gradually add the almonds and flour. Start kneading with your hands to create a dough, making sure it is not too soft.
- Shape the dough into 45-gram balls and lightly press the top with your finger.
- Place the kourabiedes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, allow them to cool thoroughly, then sprinkle them with ouzo. Afterward, roll them in a tray filled with powdered sugar, ensuring they are well covered.
- Transfer them to a serving plate, arranging them in a pyramid and sprinkling each row with powdered sugar.
Notes
Tips:
- The secret to kourabiedes is using two types of butter for better flavor and beating them for a sufficient amount of time.
- Let the kourabiedes cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar to prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Sprinkling with ouzo before the powdered sugar adds extra aroma to the kourabiedes.
- During the kneading stage, knead the ingredients until just combined. Over-kneading will result in a tough dough and less crumbly texture in the kourabiedes.
- Avoid adding extra flour to the dough. If it's still sticky after 10 minutes, let it rest, and if it remains oily, add a little more flour and knead again.