Greek Christmas Almond Cookies – Kourabiedes

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar till very fluffy. This is the first secret to a good kourabie. We’re talking at least 20 minutes of beating. Beat it senseless. That’s why you need a stand mixer.

In the meantime heat the oven to 150C fan (160C conventional). Spread the almonds on a baking paper lined oven tray and roast them till fragrant and only just beginning to turn golden. About 8-10 minutes. Cool the almonds, then chop them into medium sized chunks.

After at least 20 minutes gradually add the vanilla, flour and baking powder to the butter mixture while beating on low speed. It will look like breadcrumbs. Add the almonds and bourbon and continue beating (on low) for about 10 minutes or until your mixer starts to complain. I thought smoke might come out of mine so I stopped it a little short of time. The mixture was a nice dough that came away from the sides of the bowl and didn’t stick to my fingers. Yet it held nicely when shaped into balls. Turn the oven up to 160C fan (170C conventional).

You have a few options here. Either shape the dough into balls (whatever size you like, just make sure they are more or less the same – adjust baking time accordingly), or roll it out (thickly) and use a cookie cutter to get the shape you want, or roll the dough into a log and cut slices of the same width. Pat the slices so the sides come back if they have crumbled a bit. Place cookies on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for approx. 18-20 minutes (time is for a 36 cookie yield). They will have only just started to turn blond around the edges and on the bottom. Let them cool completely.

After the cookies are cold (I left mine overnight), smother them in icing sugar. I found it easiest to roll them in a bowl of sugar just like when coating truffles or chicken nuggets (er, the nuggets would be in breadcrumbs not sugar. Unless you know something I don’t). Press them into the sugar so it sticks. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle yet more icing sugar on top. I’m talking lots of it. You aren’t supposed to see the cookie under its snowy coat.