Greek Christmas Butter Cookies - Kourabiedes
Melt-in-your-mouth Greek Christmas butter cookies called Kourabiedes. The ultimate Mediterranean Christmas treat that is traditionally served on big platters in a pyramid shape.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (500g) goat or sheep butter or cow butter
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons cognac or brandy
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rosewater or flower water or Amaretto
- 1 cup (about 150g) unsalted toasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 3 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (350g) hard flour or bread flour or strong flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting the cookies
Instructions
- Remove the egg and the butter from the refrigerator (2-3 hours before using it). Cut it into pieces to save at least half the time.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180 °C).
- Place almonds on a baking tray and bake them for 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Let them cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer on high speed for 15 minutes until white and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and beat another 10 minutes until it turns white and looks like whipped cream.
- Add egg yolk and beat until incorporated for a couple of minutes. Do the same for the rest of the ingredients: cognac or brandy, baking powder, vanilla extract, toasted almonds, rosewater or flower water, or amaretto.
- Add the flour gradually with a spatula or big spoon and combine. When the dough is thick enough, use your hands to combine.
- Add gradually 5 cups and shape a cookie. If the cookie melts, add a bit more flour to the mixture and shape another cookie. Repeat until the cookie keeps its shape. Don’t overwork the dough.
- Shape into thick round cookies, crescents, or balls, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 15-20 minutes in the middle oven rack until lightly golden brown.
- Let them cool completely before placing them on a platter. Dust them with a generous amount of powdered sugar using a strainer.
Notes
You may make them even a month before Christmas. Bake them and keep them out of the fridge in a well-sealed food container. If I want to serve them or to offer them as a gift, dust some additional powdered sugar over them. They will last one month, for sure, and even more.
The nutritional information below is an estimate and may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands used, as well as preparation methods.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 17.5gProtein: 2.77gFat: 12.3gSaturated Fat: 6.63gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.88gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 48.7mgFiber: 0.94gSugar: 3.9gVitamin A: 291IUCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.37mg
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