Kourabiedes, also known as kourabiethes, are delightful Greek shortbread cookies traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas season. These delectable treats boast a melt-in-your-mouth texture, delicate flavor, and an iconic dusting of powdered sugar. Originating from the beautiful isle of Naxos, kourabiedes have captivated taste buds across Greece and beyond. Join us as we embark on a culinary journey to discover the secrets behind crafting these delectable treats, exploring variations and tips to ensure your kourabiedes turn out perfect every time.
Let's cook with our recipes!
KOURAMBIETHES
My daughter-in-law gave me this recipe. Her grandmother was born in Greece and bakes these cookies for special occasions, including Christmas.-Carol Dale, Greenville, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 55m
Yield 5 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Place almonds in an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° until lightly browned, 5-10 minutes, stirring several times. When cool, process in a food processor until finely chopped; set aside. , In a large bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, whiskey or juice and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and reserved almonds; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into 3-in. logs. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; shape into crescents. Bake at 350° until set and bottoms are lightly browned, 14-18 minutes. , Carefully roll warm cookies in remaining confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 128 calories, Fat 7g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 19mg cholesterol, Sodium 51mg sodium, Carbohydrate 13g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 2g protein.
KOURAMBIETHES
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and brandy.
- Gradually only add enough flour to make a soft dough. Chill.
- Shape dough into crescents or 1 1/2 inch balls. (If using cloves, place one in each cookie before baking.)
- Place on ungreased sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. They won't be brown.
- Cool for 4 to 5 minutes and then sift powdered sugar over them.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 981 kcal, Carbohydrate 88 g, Cholesterol 224 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 12 g, SaturatedFat 39 g, Sodium 24 mg, Sugar 16 g, Fat 64 g, ServingSize 6 dozen (6 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
KOURABIETHES - GREEK BUTTER COOKIES
A recipe I found on Whippedtheblog.com. Here is what is stated about the cookies: "These Greek little balls of heaven are a Christmas special. My husband who is half Greek makes them every year. In the bakeries of Greece, the Kourabiethes are piled up high and deep and look like a mound of little snowballs. My trusty, old-school Greek cookbook reads, "Kourabiethes are the national cookies of the Greeks for Christmas and New Year's Day."
Provided by diner524
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 30-40 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter and 1 cup sugar until very light and fluffy. stir in egg yolk and brandy. Mix sifted flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Mix in the flour and baking powder a little at a time until dough no longer sticks to your fingers. If you are adding the almonds, chop them up into fine pieces. Mix them in while mixing in flour, accomodating for the extra ingredient and not letting the cookies get too dry. Knead well until dough is smooth and can easily be rolled into balls. Take small pieces of dough and shape into balls or small crescents. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet or on a lightly greased sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until very light brown. While still warm, brush very lightly with orange flower or rose water. Roll in confectioner's sugar and set on a tray or plate. Use the remaining sugar to sift over top until well covered.
GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIES (KOURAMBIEDES)
Provided by Alex Guarnaschelli
Categories dessert
Time 1h20m
Yield 3 1/2 dozen cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and salt and whip until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar, egg, brandy, and vanilla and beat until all of the ingredients are integrated. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add sifted flour to the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, remove the dough and transfer it onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes before rolling.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- After the dough has cooled, pinch off small pieces and roll them into about 1-inch balls. Place them in a single layer with space in between each, on a greased baking sheet. Repeat the process until all of the cookie dough has been rolled. Place a clove in the center of each cookie. Alternatively, shape the ball into half moons with a clove in the center of each.
- Place the sheets in the oven and bake until the cookies are just slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool thoroughly, and then roll them in powdered sugar.
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
KOURAMBIETHES
Provided by Michael Symon : Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 1h30m
Yield about 3 1/2 dozen cookies
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat butter for 10 minutes with electric mixer until very light and creamy. Beat the egg yolks and vanilla in a separate bowl until lemon-colored, 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat for 10 minutes. Add egg mixture to butter and add brandy and the flour, a little bit at a time, until dough is soft.
- Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into small crescents or balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until very lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheets. Sprinkle liberally with sifted confectioners' sugar while the cookies are still warm. Continue to cool to room temperature.
- Cook's Note: If the dough gets too warm and sticky while rolling the balls, re-chill it before continuing.
KOURAMBIEDES (A GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIE)
Basically a Greek butterball cookie recipe. These, with Melomakarona, are found in every Greek home during the Christmas Holidays. I go through phases. One year, or for a couple of years, these are my favourites, then Melomakarona are, and I keep switching back and forth. They're both wonderful! These keep wonderfully, long after Christmas is over, if any are left.
Provided by evelynathens
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 30-40 cookies, 30-40 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for 15 minutes, until it begins to turn white. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the egg yolks, the brandy, vanilla extract, and gradually add the flour, until you have a dough that is neither too soft nor too firm (you may need to add slightly more than the amount I've written); stir in the almonds.
- Let the dough stand for an hour at room temperature, covered with a clean dish towel.
- Next, with small amounts (about 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough), shape small rounds by gently rolling the dough around between the palms of your hands.
- Arrange the round cookies on a buttered pan and flatten ever so slightly on top with your hand.
- Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
- Immediately upon removing the kourambiedes from the oven, sprinkle them with rose water (or orange water or ouzo. I do this by putting a small amount of the liquid in a bowl, wetting my fingertips, and shaking the droplets over the hot cookies a few times. The scented water or ouzo gives the cookies a very delicate fragrance).
- Roll the hot cookies in icing sugar to cover and let cool.
- When cool, arrange on a pretty holiday platter, sieving more icing sugar between the cookie layers to give a snowdrift effect.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 215.8, Fat 16.3, SaturatedFat 8.2, Cholesterol 43.6, Sodium 184.7, Carbohydrate 15.1, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 4.3, Protein 3
KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)
I had to bake something from my heritage for school. So, I made this heavenly kourabiedes recipe. -Rebecca Sprague, St. Louis, Missouri
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h
Yield about 5 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually stir into butter mixture until blended (mixture will be crumbly). , Shape heaping tablespoons of dough into crescents. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool 15 minutes., Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Toss slightly cooled cookies in sugar; return cookies to wire rack to cool completely. , Toss cookies in sugar once more before serving. Store in an airtight container, adding any remaining confectioners' sugar to cover cookies.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 128 calories, Fat 6g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 19mg cholesterol, Sodium 3mg sodium, Carbohydrate 17g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.
GREEK BUTTER COOKIES (KOURAMBIEDES)
Provided by Moira Hodgson
Categories dessert
Time 50m
Yield About 60 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, whip the butter until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, baking powder, sugar and nuts. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the flour until the dough becomes too stiff to beat with a mixer. By hand, add flour and knead until dough is smooth and rolls off your fingers without sticking.
- Roll the dough out by hand into a cylinder roughly one inch in diameter and eight inches long. Cut diagonally into one-and-a-half-inch pieces. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool and sprinkle them generously with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 85, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 6 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 14 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The quality of your ingredients will directly affect the taste of your kourabiedes. Use unsalted butter, pure vanilla extract, and finely ground nuts.
- Chill the dough before baking: Chilling the dough will help it hold its shape better and prevent it from spreading too much in the oven.
- Roll the dough out evenly: When rolling out the dough, try to keep it an even thickness throughout. This will help the cookies bake evenly.
- Bake the cookies until they are golden brown: The cookies should be baked until they are golden brown on the bottom and the edges. This will ensure that they are cooked through but still soft and chewy.
- Dust the cookies with powdered sugar: Once the cookies have cooled, dust them with powdered sugar. This will give them a classic kourabiedes look and add a bit of sweetness.
Conclusion:
Kourabiedes are a delicious and festive Greek cookie that is perfect for any occasion. With their buttery, nutty flavor and delicate texture, they are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you're looking for a special treat, give kourabiedes a try. You won't be disappointed!
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