Discover the delightful flavors and textures of Greek almond shortbread cookies, also known as "kourabiedes" in their native Greece. These melt-in-your-mouth confections are a staple of Greek cuisine, often prepared during festive occasions like Christmas, Easter, and weddings. With their buttery shortbread base and generous coating of powdered sugar, these cookies offer a delightful balance of richness and sweetness. While there are many variations of the recipe, this article will guide you in creating authentic Greek almond shortbread cookies that will impress your family and friends with their irresistible taste and charm.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
GREEK ALMOND SHORTBREAD (KOURABIE)
Mary, a friends Greek neighbour, took the time to show us this recipe. It is a family recipe from her area of Greece. The actual dough has very little sugar as they are dusted heavily in icing sugar once cooked. These are very crunchy and has peices of almonds through out them. The shape is entirely upto the cook, just make sure they are not too large as they will burn on the outside and not cooked on the inside. The dough for each biscuit (cookie) should be the size of a large cherry.
Provided by cookingpompom
Categories Dessert
Time 40m
Yield 50-60 biscuits/cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 180oc (375 oF).
- In a large bowl beat the butter, oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick and glossy. It will take about 5 - 7 minutes.
- Add in the flour and almonds. Start with a large wooden spoon and progress to clean hands until all is well mixed. The mixture will be quite dry.
- Roll peices of dough the size of a large cherry and flatten, or roll into a sausage and flatten slightly - or what ever suits your fancy.
- Place onto a lined tray, repeat until all the mixture is used (you should get 50 - 60 biscuits).
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes depending on how you roll and flatten your biscuits. They should be nicely golden all over.
- Once out of the oven, liberally sift extra icing sugar over hot biscuit and leave to cool.
- Store in an air tight container with plenty of icing sugar.
- They will keep for up to 2 weeks in a dry and dark area.
KOURAMBIETHES (GREEK ALMOND SHORTBREADS)
I haven't made this recipe yet. It is posted for the Zaar World Tour 2006. The cookbook I found this recipe in says that Kourambiethes are a Christmas specialty in Greece. Prep time includes 1 hour refrigeration time.
Provided by Kim127
Categories Dessert
Time 1h45m
Yield 22 shortbreads
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Gently melt the butter over low heat in a small heavy-based saucepan; without stirring or shaking the pan. Carefully pour the clear butter into another container, leaving the white sediment in the pan to be discarded. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 325 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Grind the slivered almonds to a medium fine meal.
- In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the chilled butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar and combine well. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and ouzo and beat until just combined. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and the almond meal.
- Shape heaped tablespoons of mixture into crescents, place on the baking trays and bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly colored.
- Remove from the oven and dust liberally with icing sugar. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust the paper with icing sugar. Lift the warm biscuits onto this and dust again with the icicng sugar. When the biscuits are cool, dust them once again with the icing sugar before storing them in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 176.8, Fat 11.4, SaturatedFat 5.6, Cholesterol 29.7, Sodium 18.4, Carbohydrate 16.8, Fiber 1, Sugar 7, Protein 2.6
KOURAMBIATHES (GREEK COOKIES)
A traditional Greek shortbread cookie. Adds a good flavor to any holiday!
Provided by Becky Marti
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 45m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter, egg yolk and anise extract until light. Stir in the 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and flour until blended.
- Shape dough into crescents and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven just until bottoms and edges begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar before they are completely cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 194.4 calories, Carbohydrate 19.3 g, Cholesterol 43.3 mg, Fat 12 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2.3 g, SaturatedFat 7.4 g, Sodium 82.7 mg, Sugar 4.4 g
Tips:
- Use high-quality butter for the best flavor and texture.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are very cold before you start mixing them together. This will help to create a light and flaky shortbread cookie.
- Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the cookies tough.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will help to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven. This will help to ensure that the cookies bake evenly.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting them. This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
Conclusion:
Greek almond shortbread cookies are a delicious and easy-to-make treat. They are perfect for any occasion, from a casual gathering to a special holiday party. With their buttery flavor, almond extract, and crispy texture, these cookies are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you are looking for a sweet treat, give these Greek almond shortbread cookies a try. You won't be disappointed!
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