Greek Christmas Shortbread Cookies Recipe (Kourabiethes)

By foodiva

Ingredients

• For The Cookies:
• 50 gramsgranulated sugar
• 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
• 30 mlbrandy
• 200 gramswhole almondsraw & unsalted
• 500 gramsflour
• 5 gramsbaking powder
• 200 gramsicing sugar
• 300gramsbutterat room temperature50gramsgranulated sugar50 gramsicing sugar1teaspoonvanilla extract30mlbrandy200gramswhole almondsraw & unsalted500gramsflour5gramsbaking powder
• 300 gramsbutterat room temperature50gramsgranulated sugar50 gramsicing sugar1teaspoonvanilla extract30mlbrandy200gramswhole almondsraw & unsalted500gramsflour5gramsbaking powder
• For Coating:
• 200gramsicing sugar

Details

Adapted from realgreekrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare The Almonds:

Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F. Half fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil, over high heat.

Add the almonds and boil for 2 minutes.

Drain almonds in a colander and transfer them to a bowl with cold water.

Remove the skins of the almonds. To do that just squeeze their skin on one side for the almonds to pop out.

Lay the almonds on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

Bake almonds for about 10 minutes or until they get a golden brownish color.

Transfer almonds on a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel and smash the almonds with a heavy object (a bottle, a saucepan or a meat hammer if you own one). The almonds should come out both in large pieces, as well as finely smashed ones. Set aside.

Make The Cookies:

Cut the butter into small squares.

Cream the butter either by kneading it with your hands, or using a mixer on low speed.

Mix in the sugar, icing sugar, the brandy and vanilla extract.

In a bowl combine flour and baking powder. Add it to the butter mixture by adding it in small bits at a time. NOTE: (If you make the cookies with the use of a mixer than add about 100 grams more flour.)

Once you add all the flour, the dough should look very crumbly. Remove from mixer (if you used one).

Add the smashed almonds into the dough and knead the dough with your hands for the almonds to incorporate.

Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.

Take small pieces of the dough (about 45 grams) and squeeze it to become softer. Knead it into the form of a ball.

Throw the ball with some force on your working surface. This way when the ball lands, a flat surface is created at the bottom of the ball (helping the balls stand in one place).

Knead the remaining dough in the same way.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cookies get a golden brown color.

Coat The Cookies:

Add the icing sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Let cookies stand for 5 minutes and then add them to the bowl (a few at a time) and mix them with the sugar.

Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle the remaining icing sugar on top of the cookies. Enjoy!