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kourabiedes recipe greek almond cookies butter brandy whiskey cognac liquor rose water

Kourabiedes (Greek Almond Cookies)

Kimberly Killebrew
Kourabiedes are traditional Greek almond shortbread cookies with the delicious flavor of toasted almonds and a delightfully crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture!
Print Recipe
5 from 71 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 168 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) quality unsalted butter , softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup powdered/confectioner's sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks , room temperature
  • 1-2 tablespoons brandy (e.g., Greek Metaxa or brandy of your choice)
  • 1 tablespoon rose water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional if you want to bump up the almond flavor)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups sliced or slivered almonds , toasted in the oven at 350 F until golden (be careful not to over-toast or the almonds will be bitter)
  • powdered sugar for dusting/dredging

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
    In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar for a full 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat for another 5 minutes. Beat in the brandy and extracts, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add one cup of the flour mixture at a time into the wet mixture, beating after each addition until incorporated. Stir in the almonds. If the dough is too crumbly to form into balls knead in a little extra egg yolk.
  • Form the batter into roughly 1-inch balls, slightly flatten them in the palms of your hands, make a small indentation in the center with your thumb, and place them on a lined baking sheet two inches apart.
    Bake the cookies on the middle shelf until golden, 15-18 minutes.
    While the cookies are still hot, dust a serving platter with powdered sugar and place a single layer of cookies on top of the sugar. Lightly spray the cookies with some water infused with a little rose water and generously sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top and repeat the process. Continue repeating this process forming a pyramid shaped display of cookies. (Note, this display form is traditional but totally optional. The key is simply to generously coat the cookies with powdered sugar while they're still hot, lightly spraying with the water to enable the sugar to adhere.)
    Once the cookies are fully cooled, store them in an airtight container where they will keep for a few weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 258IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword Almond Cookies, Greek, Kourabiedes, Shortbread
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