This absolute Greek Christmas treat is super easy and delicious. Greek “kourabiedes” are made with good quality butter, packed with roasted almonds and coated with icing sugar while still hot, forming a rich butter-sugar coating. The secret of the recipe lies in good-quality butter (Lurpak or Greek Corfu type butter) which is aromatic and full and makes these shortbread Christmas cookies melt in your mouth, while full of flavor. If you further want to uplift this modest version, you can dip “kourabiedes” into chocolate (recipe coming up soon)…
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with 2 tablespoons icing sugar for 15’ on medium speed, until the mixture gets white and fluffy like a mousse. In the meantime, chop the almonds in small chunks, preferably by hand to enhance the texture.
- Add the flour, mix to combine well and in the end add the chopped almonds. (In case you choose to use whole wheat flour – like I sometimes do – you will get slightly brown dough, which is perfectly ok.) The dough will be extremely soft and you should put it in the fridge to thicken for an hour, so you can mold the balls. Don’t leave the dough in the fridge for more than an hour as the dough will harden.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and layer the bottom of two baking trays with parchment paper. Form the kourabiedes in balls (size of a walnut) and make sure they have similar size so that they bake evenly. Shape them fast as you don’t want the dough to start softening in your hands.
- Place the balls sparsely on the baking trays, since they will expand and bake them for 35’ until they turn light golden. While still warm on the baking sheet, dust with icing sugar and set aside to cool completely.
- When cool, transfer them in a metallic box with lid to store and sprinkle with some more icing sugar. Enjoy!
