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I wish I had the way to invite you all to my humble home in Athens, just to treat you to these Greek Christmas butter cookies named Kourabiedes. They’re buttery, crumbly, full of ground toasted almonds, and vanilla extract, and covered with a thick layer of powdered sugar. The absolute Christmas treat!
Imagine those goodies melting in your mouth with a hot cup of coffee in front of your fireplace on Christmas Eve, surrounded by the people you love. Priceless moments!
Greek Christmas cookies
In Greek homes, it wouldn’t be Christmas without kourabiedes and melomakarona. The most beloved Greek Christmas cookies. You may find both of them on huge platters, as another Christmas focal point, along with the Christmas tree.
Looking at the platters, you see those cookies placed in a pyramid shape that reminds kind of a mountain. They are covered with powdered sugar, meaning the “mountain” is always full of “snow” and that is a childhood memory that I particularly cherish.
I remember to grab one (and two and three…who counts?), run and hide to eat it, leaving trails of sugar all over the floor, my face, and clothes ("No, it wasn't me. Santa Claus ate them" lol). It is not easy to resist a butter cookie full of sugar. That’s why the platters were usually out of children’s reach to avoid overeating all these cookies.
The recipe's history
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The origins of this sweet are lost in space and time. During medieval times, the word “biscuit” coming from the Latin biscuit (baking technique meaning baking bread twice) was spreading to Asia through Venetian traders. There, this Latin word was altered to biya/biye and incorporated into the local word Qura/Kuru (meaning dry).
The result was the new word Qurabiya/Kurabiye that came back to the West a few centuries later during Ottoman rule in the Balkans. In Greece, those dry biscuits evolved independently and their taste is completely different from the Kurabiye from which they came.
Once again, culture transcends the borders that humans erect around nations and empires. How could this cookie be originated from one country or nation? Centuries of a constant journey from West to East and back, it was shared, adapted, and altered by so many cultures. It is always so fascinating!
Ingredient shopping list
BUTTER. High-quality goat or sheep butter is the essence of that recipe. Its delightful light and rich flavor are what make them stand out. It won’t be difficult to find that kind of goat or sheep butter in big stores. Nevertheless, you may use cow butter. You won’t get the same outcome but it will be close enough to enjoy.
FLOUR. I add a combination of all-purpose and hard/strong/bread flour. You may use gluten-free four as well.
EGG YOLK. An egg yolk will add moisture to the cookie and help bind everything together.
COGNAC or BRANDY. It enhances the overall taste profile of the cookies. It contributes depth and complexity, bringing out the buttery and nutty notes in the dough.
ALMONDS. An essential part of the traditional recipe. They add delightful crunchiness and divine nutty flavor.
ROSEWATER or FLOWER WATER or AMARETTO. The ingredient that makes these Christmas butter cookies a distinctive holiday treat is rosewater. For me, it is a must in that recipe. You may purchase it in local Greek delis or other Middle Eastern grocers.
If you don’t like it (or cannot find it anywhere) try flower water instead. However, if you don’t feel like risking with such new strong flavors, just add almond liqueur (Amaretto). It’s up to you, even though I strongly advise you to give rosewater a try!
How to make kourabiedes
Let’s get down to business now…
These cookies are similar to shortbread recipes: butter, powdered sugar, egg, baking powder, cognac or brandy, almonds, and flour. Mix them all and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the dough
Butter and eggs should be at room temperature.
That’s how you are going to cream the butter for at least 15-20 minutes. Butter’s color will turn to white and the texture will remind of whipped cream. That’s how the cookies will be extra tender and they are going to melt into the mouth.
How much flour?
That's the tricky part of the recipe. My family's recipe calls for flour "as much as it needs" which is the standard Greek unit of measurement (Come on! Really, mom?). Don't worry, I won't leave you high and dry.
As you know by now, in a recipe the mentioned amount of flour varies, sometimes considerably. For kourabiedes, if you add too much flour, they will be dry, and with less flour in the dough, you get flat cookies. But there is a very simple way to find out when the dough is ready for this recipe.
Before you add the last cup of flour to the dough, shape a cookie and let it rest for a couple of minutes. If it keeps its shape and doesn’t melt, it is ready. Otherwise, add more flour and check again. Repeat until you have a firm cookie and then go baking.
Don’t overwork the dough, when you add the flour. Your goal is just to gently incorporate it and give it a couple of minutes to be absorbed.
Shape and bake
We usually shape them in thick round cookies, crescents, or balls. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the middle oven rack until lightly golden brown. Keep an eye all the time because kourabiedes are easy to burn during baking.
I know you cannot wait to garnish those Christmas butter cookies with luscious layers of powdered sugar and eat them right away. Me too! Nevertheless, we have to wait until they are cool.
Firstly, they are very soft and crumbly when they are hot and therefore it is very difficult to move them. Secondly, the powdered sugar is going to melt down because of the heat and form a thick mass with an unpleasant texture on the surface.
My Greek Christmas cookies are ready
Enjoy kourabiedes with a hot cup of coffee or herbal tea. It's a favorite snack.
You may make them even a month before Christmas. Bake them and keep them out of the fridge in a well-sealed food container. If I want to serve them or offer them as a gift, dust some additional powdered sugar over them. They will last one month for sure and even more.
If you make my recipe, you have to let me know! I absolutely love your feedback. This is a huge motivation for me and it keeps 30daysofgreekfood’s kitchen alive. Bookmark this recipe and leave your rate and comment below, or take a photo with your Christmas Greek kourabiedes and tag me on Instagram with #30daysofgreekfood and Facebook with @30daysofgreekfood.
Recipe
Greek Christmas cookies - Kourabiedes
Sylia
Melt-in-your-mouth Greek Christmas butter cookies called Kourabiedes. The ultimate Mediterranean Christmas treat that is traditionally served on big platters in a pyramid shape.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Servings 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups goat or sheep butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons cognac or brandy
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rosewater or flower water or Amaretto
- 1 cup unsalted toasted almonds, roughly chopped
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups hard flour or bread flour or strong flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting the cookies
Instructions
Remove the butter from the refrigerator (2-3 hours before using it). Cut it in pieces to save at least half time.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180 °C).
Place almonds on a baking tray and bake them for 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Let them cool.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer on high speed for 15 minutes until white and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar and beat another 10 minutes until it turns white and looks like whipped cream.
Add egg yolk and beat until incorporated. Do the same for the rest of the ingredients: cognac or brandy, baking powder, vanilla extract, toasted almonds, rosewater or flower water or amaretto.
Add gradually the flour with a spatula. When the dough is thick enough, use your hands to combine. Add 5 cups and shape a cookie. If the cookie melts, add more flour. Repeat until the cookie keeps its shape. Don’t overwork the dough.
Shape into thick round cookies, crescents, or balls, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (optional), and bake for 15-20 minutes in the middle oven rack until lightly golden brown.
Let them cool before placing them on a platter. Dust them with a generous amount of powdered sugar using a strainer.
Notes
You may make them even a month before Christmas. Bake them and keep them out of the fridge in a well-sealed food container. If I want to serve them or to offer them as a gift, dust some additional powdered sugar over them. They will last one month for sure and even more.
Keyword Greek cookies kourabiedes
