**Discover the Delightful World of Kourabiedes: Exquisite Greek Cookies with Confectioners' Sugar**
Embark on a culinary journey to Greece with kourabiedes, delectable cookies that are a cornerstone of Greek cuisine and a cherished part of their festive traditions. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies feature a rich, buttery dough enveloping a sweet, nutty filling, all generously coated in confectioners' sugar, creating an irresistible treat that is both visually stunning and bursting with flavor. Join us as we explore the world of kourabiedes with our curated collection of recipes, each offering unique variations and insights into this beloved Greek delicacy.
**Recipes Included:**
1. **Classic Kourabiedes:** Experience the timeless tradition of kourabiedes in its purest form. This classic recipe yields tender, buttery cookies with a hint of orange zest and a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar.
2. **Nutella-Filled Kourabiedes:** Indulge in a delightful twist on the classic with Nutella-filled kourabiedes. The rich, chocolatey hazelnut filling adds an extra layer of decadence to these irresistible cookies.
3. **Pistachio Kourabiedes:** Discover the nutty goodness of pistachios in this variation of kourabiedes. Finely ground pistachios are incorporated into the dough, creating a vibrant green hue and a subtly nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the confectioners' sugar coating.
4. **Orange-Almond Kourabiedes:** Elevate your kourabiedes with the vibrant flavors of orange and almond. This recipe combines the zest of oranges and the crunch of almonds, resulting in a wonderfully aromatic and flavorful cookie.
5. **Walnut Kourabiedes:** Experience the rustic charm of walnuts in these kourabiedes. Chopped walnuts add a delightful textural contrast to the smooth dough, while a hint of cinnamon adds a warm, inviting aroma.
Immerse yourself in the rich flavors and textures of kourabiedes, and discover why these Greek cookies have captured the hearts of people worldwide. Let your taste buds embark on a journey to Greece with our selection of delectable kourabiedes recipes.
KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)
I had to bake something from my heritage for school. So, I made this heavenly kourabiedes recipe. -Rebecca Sprague, St. Louis, Missouri
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h
Yield about 5 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 6
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 128 calories, Fat 6g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 19mg cholesterol, Sodium 3mg sodium, Carbohydrate 17g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.
KOURABIEDES (GREECE): WALNUT SUGAR COOKIES
These are a Greek celebration cookie - while they're most popular at Christmas, you also see them at weddings, Easter and other holidays as well. They're almost always served with a powdered sugar topping; at Christmas, it's traditional to stick a whole clove in the top to represent the gift of spices that the Three Wise Men brought to Bethlehem.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 1h50m
Yield about 2 dozen cookies
Number Of Ingredients 11
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
GREEK BUTTER COOKIES (KOURABIEDES)
Traditionally baked for Christmas and Easter festivities, these buttery shortbread cookies call for a trio of classic Greek ingredients: almonds, honey, and a special liqueur made from the resin of the mastic tree.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes about 45
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, almonds, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and honey on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. (It may not come together fully until you add flour mixture.) Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with mastiha.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough; roll into a ball. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. Roll cookies in confectioners' sugar until thoroughly coated. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
KOURABIEDES I
Buttery Greek crescent shaped cookie.
Provided by Ceil Wallace
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Sift flour with baking powder. Set aside.
- Cream butter and gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolk, brandy and vanilla. Beat again until very light. Stir in almonds.
- Blend in flour mixture, mix to form a soft, smooth dough. Chill 30 minutes or until it can be handled easily.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
- Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into crescent-shapes. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Insert whole clove into center of each. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until light...do not brown. Cool on rack. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 193.8 calories, Carbohydrate 16.5 g, Cholesterol 38.5 mg, Fat 12.8 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 2.7 g, SaturatedFat 6.7 g, Sodium 93.4 mg, Sugar 4.1 g
GREEK COOKIES WITH CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR (KOURABIEDES)
These cookies were served at every church function and holiday meal as I was growing up. They are really lovely with a nice cup of tea. This is taken from one of my mother's favorite Greek cookbooks, "The Complete Book of Greek Cooking, The Recipe Club of St. Pauls Greek Cathedral".
Provided by diamonds4heather
Categories Dessert
Time 40m
Yield 75 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whip butter until white.
- Slowly add sugar, vanilla, and brandy.
- Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time.
- Shape cookies by rolling into balls (about the size of a meatball), then gently press your thumb into the top of the cookie and twist slightly.
- This will help flatten the cookie just a bit.
- Place cookies on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the cookies are sand colored.
- Sift confectioner's sugar onto a large sheet of wax paper.
- Upon removing cookies from oven, carefully place on sugar and sift additional sugar to cover the tops and sides of cookies.
GREEK KOURABIEDES COOKIES
From the Food Network Kitchens 12 Days of Cookies Around the World Cookie Platter. These are a Greek celebration cookie - while they're most popular at Christmas, you also see them at weddings, Easter and other holidays as well. They're almost always served with a powdered sugar topping; at Christmas, it's traditional to stick a whole clove in the top to represent the gift of spices that the Three Wise Men brought to Bethlehem. 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.
Provided by East Wind Goddess
Categories Dessert
Time 50m
Yield 24 cookies, 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 230.2, Fat 13, SaturatedFat 5.5, Cholesterol 37.8, Sodium 119.4, Carbohydrate 25.5, Fiber 0.9, Sugar 12.5, Protein 3
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the cookies will taste. This means using real butter, fresh eggs, and good-quality confectioners' sugar.
- Chill the dough before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set. Overbaking will make them dry and crumbly.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before dusting them with confectioners' sugar. This will help the sugar stick to the cookies.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Kourabiedes are a delicious and festive Greek cookie that are perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be customized with different flavors and toppings. Whether you are a fan of traditional Greek desserts or you are just looking for a new cookie recipe to try, kourabiedes are sure to please.
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