Kourabiedes
Almond butter cookies
Kourabiedes: buttery toasted-almond Christmas and wedding cookies buried in icing sugar
Snow-white kourabiedes are piled into pyramids at Greek Christmas, New Year and christenings, and in Macedonia they are handed out at weddings, so guests leave with sugar on their clothes. The crumb is short and sandy from well-whipped butter and toasted almonds, with a whisper of rose or orange-blossom water. Common mistake: dusting with icing sugar while the cookies are still hot, which melts into a paste instead of a soft coat. Chef's tip: beat the butter for a full 10 minutes until almost white; the air you whip in is what makes them melt in the mouth.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 4 oz blanched almondsroughly chopped
- 9 oz unsalted buttersoft
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugarfor the dough
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp orange-blossom or rose waterplus extra for sprinkling
- 14 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 10 ½ oz icing sugarfor coating
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toast 4 oz blanched almonds in a dry pan over a medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant. Spread out to cool.
6 minStep 2: Beat 9 oz unsalted butter with an electric mixer for 10 minutes, until pale and fluffy, then beat in 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla extract and half of 1 tbsp orange-blossom or rose water.
12 minStep 3: Sift 14 oz plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder and work it in with a spoon, then fold in the almonds. The dough should be soft and not sticky; add a spoon more flour only if needed.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Shape 25 g pieces into crescents or small domes and set on lined trays.
Step 5: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until just pale gold at the base; the tops should stay light.
22 minStep 6: Sprinkle the warm cookies with the rest of 1 tbsp orange-blossom or rose water and leave until completely cold.
Step 7: Sift a thick layer of 10 ½ oz icing sugar onto a tray, set the cookies on it and sift the rest over until fully white. Store in a tin for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kourabiedes take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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