Kourambiathesgreek Cookies Recipes

KOURAMBIETHES

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.

KOURABIEDES (GREECE): WALNUT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toast the walnuts until golden brown and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool, then chop about half of the nuts (you should have about 1/2 cup chopped). Pulse the remaining nuts in the food processor until finely ground (about 1/4 cup ground).
• Stir the flour, baking powder, salt and nuts together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In another medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk, brandy and vanilla extract together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture gets light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
• At low speed, stir in the nut mixture to make a crumbly dough. Cover the bowl and set dough aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or coat with nonstick spray.
• With a tablespoon, scoop out 1-inch pieces of dough and roll into balls between the palms of your hands. Pinch the ends of the balls to make a football shape. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies set and start to brown, about 18 minutes.
• Remove cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle them lightly with the orange water. (If you don't have a brush, simply dip your fingers into the water and flick it over the cookies a few times.) Take care not to douse them, just enough for them to carry the scent of flowers.
• Put the confectioners' sugar in a bag, and add 5 to 6 of the warm cookies to it. Very gently toss the cookies to coat with sugar. Remove them from the bag and cool cookies on a rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Serve.
• Busy baker's tips: Dough can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be wrapped in plastic, then aluminum foil, for up to 2 weeks. To serve, let cookies come to room temperature before dusting with confectioners' sugar.
• Cook's Note: If you can't find orange flower water, try specialty stores or online.
• Copyright (c) 2007 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

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.

KOURABIETHES - GREEK BUTTER COOKIES

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.

KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

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.

GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIES (KOURAMBIEDES)

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.

KOURAMBIETHES

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.

KOURAMBIETHES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat together butter and the 4 Tablespoons of powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Beat in egg. Add whiskey, vanilla and almond extract. Beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to mixture; stir in, do not beat. Dough should be soft but not sticky.
• Pinch off one inch balls of dough and shape into crescents. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned.
• Place cookies on wire rack and let cool for about 5 to 6 minutes. Roll in additional powdered sugar. This easy recipe makes 3 dozen cookies.

KOURAMBIEDES (A GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIE)

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.