Classic "Kourabiedes" - GREEK traditional Christmas butter cookies

Important note and warning!

For those who have visited this specific recipe in my blog,

between November-December 2012

(or going to in the future), via the "Pinterest" site

assuming that when clicking on a specific post they will find

a recipe under the title 

"Classic Russian tea cookies {aka snowball cookies!}"

I'm afraid you've been misled!

I owe to let you know that what you are getting

clicking on that specific post is a traditional Greek recipe!!!

Kourabiedes is a delicate almond based cookie. This is the second most popular Christmas sweet but in various areas of Greece they are also offered as a treat on special occasions, like weddings and christenings. Legend has it that these cookies were crescent-shaped during the Turkish occupation of Greece, in deference to the Turkish flag. However, while crescent-shaped kourabiedes can still be found, after Greece regained independence from Turkey people in many parts of the country resumed making them in different shapes like oval, round or esses. The key ingredient and the secret for the best kourabiedes is the very, very good quality of butter you have to use ("pure butter" as we say in Greece, meaning cow's or goat's butter or a mixture of the two - although in the distant past people used to use lard since butter was not really something you could find in the region). With a good quality of butter you will achieve the most aromatic kourabiedes! Surfing around I noticed that Kourabiedes are quite similar to the "Mexican wedding cookies" and the "Russian tea cakes". There are minor variations for the Kourabiedes depending on the area they come from. Others they use whole almonds in or crushed and others they use walnuts. In some cases they add brandy or ouzo and in other cases, before icing, the cookes are drizzled with almond extract or rose water giving them a divine aroma!

 

Ingredients (for about 50 pieces, depending on the size):
450gr.-500gr. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup of icing sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp of ouzo, brandy or cognac
3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. of baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup roasted and crushed almonds, with the skin on

whole cloves (the amount of the kourabiedes)
plenty of extra icing sugar for icing

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170°C-180°C (depending on the oven).

Beat the butter in a stand mixer for about 10-15 minutes until it becomes very creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and beat again to blend well. Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, and keep beating until they incorporate well with the rest of the ingredients. Finally, add in the vanilla and the ouzo and stir.

In a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder and the salt. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and gradually add the flour mixture into the butter, processing until they blend together and you end up with a relatively stiff dough. Add more flour, if you think it is necessary. Add the almonds and knead the dough for about 5 or 6 times.

Using a tablespoon get medium size portions and roll the dough into whatever shape you prefer. Place the kourabiedes on ungreased baking dishes, leaving about 2,5cm between them (so that they won’t stick together as they expand). Place a clove in the center of each kourabie.

Put in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes depending on the oven, until they become slightly browned. Don't overbake them! They don't taste nice if they become very dark.

Take out of the oven and leave the kourabiedes to stand for about 10 minutes before you roll them in the icing sugar.

Put plenty of icing sugar on a large serving plate. Very carefully, because they break easily, roll each kourabie in the sugar, and then transfer on a rack to cool. Repeat the same with the rest of the kourabiedes adding more sugar to the plate when it is needed. Finally, sift additional sugar on top of the cookies and let them rest for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Carefully place them on spacious serving plates and sprinkle on top with more icing sugar. You can also pack them in boxes, placing a piece of waxed paper between each layer.

Kourabiedes will keep fresh for 2 months or even longer stored in a tin container.

Note:
If, when you try to pick them up for icing, they break then it means that you probably added more butter than you should have. In that case leave the kourabiedes on kitchen paper to drain the excess grease and pass them through the icing sugar later on or the next day