KourabiedesPrint Recipe

It is probably a little odd that I attempt to immortalise my grandmother on my blog when I am writing about Kourabiedes. She was not Greek, in fact she hailed from Eastern Europe. Nonetheless, making these has compelled me to write a little about her.

My grandmother was an exceptional cook and alot of what she baked was either written down on loose sheets of paper in foreign tongue or kept in her head. She often threw ingredients together completely unmeasured, yet with consistency and the outcome was always sensational. One of my favourite things to do when we visited her (aside from eating the biscuits and tortes she made for our arrival) was to pop myself up on the kitchen bench and watch her cooking. In the old days (when I was really little) she didn’t even have a mix master – she did everything with a hand beater and I would marvel at her strength.

One of the biscuits she would make for our visits were very similar to Kourabiedes – hence my little trip down memory lane. I have made these a couple of times and often wondered how such an iconic Greek shortbread would be similar to a biscuit from Eastern Europe, but in my cooking adventures I have discovered that many European countries have some sort of shortbread treat made with almonds, walnuts – or if you head over to the Middle East it’s Pistachios. So really it’s not that strange at all.

Kourabiedes are usually made with almonds, although doing my research I also found a several recipes that used walnuts instead. Other common ingredients (aside from the obvious flour & butter etc) include brandy and sometimes rosewater. They are found all over Greece and are always present at important occasions, namely Christmas and baptisims – a true celebration biscuit. I have meddled a little with the recipe – hopefully not enough to cause a Greek mumma to throw her hands up in despair and cry ‘for the love of god!’. No, I have tried hard to keep it authentic – just added a little more almond meal than usual.

My beloved grandmother isn’t here any more but she is around in funny ways – the odd (and very old) cooking utensil I still use, the occasional song from the Sound of Music that I break into and in my love for cooking (amongst many other things). Little things that carry on the memories of her, like these biscuits – even though they are Greek.

1 1/3 cups sifted plain/all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of almond flour/almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter
1/3 cup icing confectioners’ sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
1/2 cup icing/confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Sift flour and almond meal with baking powder and set aside.

Cream butter and gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolk, brandy and vanilla. Beat again until very light and stir in finely chopped almonds.

Blend in flour mixture, mix to form a soft, smooth dough. Chill 60 minutes or until it can be handled easily.

Preheat oven to 325f/170c.

Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into crescent-shapes. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until light…do not brown. Cool on rack and dust very generously with confectioners’ sugar. Ensure you dust the whole cookie not just the top.

Notes: Don’t skimp on the icing sugar that you dust these little beauties with – the final dusting is equally as important an ingredient as any.

© 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.