Kourabiedes (κουραμπιέδες)

This Greek cookie is an almond shortbread cookie. Christmas time is coming and every home will certainly have Kourabiedes on offer for visiting house guests.

These cookies are fantastically simple in ingredients, not too difficult and I don’t think I’ve met one person that doesn’t like them. What’s not to like about butter, roasted almonds and icing sugar?

Kourabiedes (κουραμπιέδες)
(recipe is for 2 baking trays/80 cookies)

1 lb butter unsalted room temp. butter

2/3 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg yolks

1/2 shot brandy

1 tsp. baking powder

5 to 5 ½  cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

extra icing sugar for dusting

1. To the mixture, add butter, sugar and vanilla until creamed with the paddle. Add yolks one at a time.
2.  Add flour, baking powder, brandy and mix well. At the end add almonds.
3. Using your hand, grab a piece of dough the size of a walnut and form them into the shape of choice  crescents or patties). Place each formed cookie on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat process until all dough has been shaped into cookies. Roll into a ball and then cut into pieces, roll into balls and place on baking tray.
4.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in 350F oven.
5.  Allow to cool, spray with water/rosewater mixture then coat well in icing sugar (I add rosewater and water in a spray bottle, shake and use to spray the cookies).

The cookies can be stored in a sealed container, in a cool, dry place and they’ll keep for 3 months.

© 2015,
Peter Minakis
. All rights reserved.