Kourabiedes - Greek Butter Cookies

Covered in powdered sugar and perfect for the festive season ahead, kourabiedes are the ideal cookies to serve your family and friends. Slightly fragrant with a hint of ouzo, these Greek butter cookies are melt-in-the-mouth delicious.  

Table of Contents

• What are kourabiedes?
• Why I love this recipe
• What goes into this recipe
• How to make this recipe
• Expert tips
• Storing
• Video - how to make them
• More Greek cookies
• 📋 Recipe

What are kourabiedes?

Kourabiedes are Greek cookies served at Christmastime and numerous Greek holidays throughout the year. They are also known as Greek Christmas cookies and Greek almond cookies.  

• 🇬🇷 Greek language lesson: Kourabiedes κουραμπιέδες (pronounced kou-ra-bye-thes) - the "y" in bye sounds as "yeah" and the d sounds like "th" - like in the word "the".
• A single cookie is a kourabies or a kourabie - κουραμπιές. Phew!

Why I love this recipe

Let me give you a few reasons why I love these buttery shortbread cookies.

• Kourabiedes are easy to make.  You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry now.  Plus, the stand mixer does most of the work.
• They're great for holiday baking!  Make plenty of kourabiedes to share with family and friends. Then, serve them along with my melomakarona, and you'll have the best looking Greek cookie platter this holiday season!
• You can enjoy them with coffee or tea. Kourabiedes are perfect with a hot beverage.  Just don't forget to have a glass of water nearby - all that icing sugar! 😉
• They're fragrant.  Subtle hints of ouzo or brandy give kourabiedes their signature flavour, and rosewater takes it to another level!  Their aroma is mesmerising.
• They look like snowballs. C'mon, you can't get better than that!  They scream holidays!

What goes into this recipe

• Butter.  Use unsalted butter and make sure it's at room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar) - This is used to make the cookie dough and to coat our kourabiedes.
• Egg Yolk - The egg yolks add a lovely richness to the dough.  Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
• Vanilla Extract - The vanilla adds a lovely flavour to our kourabiedes.  Don't omit it!  You can use vanilla paste instead if you prefer.
• Brandy or Ouzo - Try to use a good quality Greek brandy (such as Metaxa) or sub with cognac. I used orzo in this recipe. I love cooking with ouzo and if you're after some inspiration - try my ouzo and lemon biscuits. 
• Almonds - As these are almond cookies - the almonds are essential.  I've used blanched almonds for today's recipe that I've lightly toasted in a pan.  You can use roasted almonds if you prefer or slivered almonds.  
• All-Purpose Flour - I use regular all-purpose flour or plain flour. Don't sub with wholewheat.
• Baking Powder - acts as a leavening agent.
• Rose Water and/or Orange Blossom Water - Adds a beautiful fragrance and aroma to our kourabiedes.  If you can't get hold of it, just omit it.  

How to make this recipe

• Step 1: Place the almonds in a medium-sized pan and gently cook for 5 minutes.  (Make sure to stir continuously - so the almonds don't burn).  Once cooked, remove and allow to cool.
• Step 2: Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse a few times.  The mixture should resemble coarse breadcrumbs. 
• Step 3: Place the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium speed for ten minutes.  
• Step 4: Add the powdered sugar and beat again for another ten minutes.

• Step 5: Turn the speed down to low and add the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the ouzo and vanilla.
• Step 6: Add the sifted flour to the butter mixture a little at a time (I use a heaped tablespoon to do this). Make sure each tablespoon of flour is mixed before adding the next.
• Step 7: Add the almonds and mix until just incorporated.
• Step 8: Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out pieces of dough (mine weighed 30 grams). Form the dough into small round balls and then flatten each ball slightly and/or form it into a crescent shape.

• Step 9: Preheat oven to 175 deg C (350 F). Place each cookie onto a parchment-lined baking tray a few inches apart (they will spread slightly).
• Step 10: Bake the kourabiedes for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and lightly spritz with rosewater or orange blossom water. Allow them to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before gently placing them on a wire rack to cool for a further five minutes.
• Step 11: Take a large baking tray or cookie sheet and dust with a cup of powdered sugar.
• Step 12: Place each kourabie on the tray and dust more icing sugar on top.

Expert tips

• Instead of cooking the almonds in a pan, roast them in a hot oven for five minutes. Furthermore, try adding a splash of almond extract for an even more pronounced almond flavour.
• Try roughly chopping them with a knife - if you prefer not to use a food processor to crush the almonds.
• Sift your flour and powdered sugar - this will help remove any clumps.
• The baking time will vary depending on the size of your kourabiedes. I use the cookie scoop as my guide - with each one weighing 30 grams, and I highly recommend you use one too.
• As these are butter cookies, the kourabiedes will be a lot paler in colour than regular cookies.  
• Be very careful when transferring the kourabiedes to be dusted as they are very delicate and could crumble - it happened to me on my first test run!

Storing

Store the kourabiedes in an airtight container, and they will last on the countertop for a few weeks. However, if you prefer, you can store them in the refrigerator - make sure to take them out half an hour before you eat them (so they come to room temperature).

Video - how to make them

More Greek cookies

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📋 Recipe

This post was first published in December 2008 but was updated with fresh content in December 2021.