Greek Almond Shortbread Circles Recipes

KOURABIETHES: GREEK SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer , add the butter and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl and add egg yolks and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Mix well. Add the ouzo, vanilla, and the toasted chopped almonds.
• In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. With the mixer on low, add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated. You don't want to over mix the dough because that will toughen the cookies. Chill the dough for about half an hour to make it easier to handle and roll.
• Heat the oven to 350 F. Have ungreased baking sheets at the ready.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Take a piece of dough about the size of a walnut, roll it into a ball, and place on the cookie sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Alternatively, roll the walnut-sized piece of dough into a log and then curl the ends in and pinch slightly to make a half-moon or crescent shape.
• Stud each cookie in the center with an optional whole clove and bake for 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
• When the cookies are still very warm, dredge in confectioners' sugar. (Handle them with care because they are fragile.) The sugar layer will almost melt and coat the cookies. After the cookies cool a bit, add another dusting of confectioners' sugar.
• After the cookies cool a bit, add another dusting of confectioners' sugar. Store in a covered container with a light dusting for confectioners' sugar for up to one month.

GREEK ALMOND SHORTBREAD (KOURABIE)

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.

GREEK CHRISTMAS ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIES (KOURABIEDES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly toast the almonds in a small skillet, making sure the almonds do not burn. Chop them roughly and set aside.
• In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and ½ cup confectioner's sugar until very creamy. Add the egg yolk and the almond extract.
• In a small bowl, blend the flour and the salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until just combined. Next, stir in the toasted almonds. The dough will be sticky, but do not add more flour at this point. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If the dough is still too soft, add one tablespoon of flour). Using a small spoon take a tablespoon of the dough and form it into a small ball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, or, until the bottom of the cookie is light brown. (Check so you do not over-bake).
• While the cookies are baking, pour the remaining one cup of confectioner's sugar into a small bowl. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. When they are easy to handle, gently roll them, one by one, in confectioner's sugar to coat. Once they are cooled completely, place them in a platter and dust them generously with the confectioner's sugar.