Mum’s Kourabiedes
If I had to select one biscuit as my favourite biscuit of all time, then it would have to be Kourabiedes. My Mum’s Kourabiedes, specifically. Kourabiedes are a traditional Greek biscuit, shortbread in nature, made with a healthy scattering of chopped roasted almonds mixed into the cookie dough as well as ouzo, which gives them that wonderful scent. They’re dusted with plenty of icing sugar, and when served on a large platter they look incredibly beautiful.
My gauge of a great kourabie, other than its taste, is how the biscuit feels in your mouth when you bite into it. I love when the kourabie sticks a little to the roof of your mouth - for me, the sensation of that texture in your mouth is like no other! It is uniquely the Kourabie-in-your-mouth sensation and I absolutely love it, especially alongside a cup of tea. If you overcook them, that buttery texture and taste disappears, and they tend to take on a different flavour. I have had people try to convince me that Kourabiedes should be crunchy and not stick to the roof of your mouth - I respectfully disagree (actually, not quite respectfully).
This recipe was one of the first of Mum’s recipes that I taught my daughter to make - there are plenty of steps in the process for multiple sets of hands to get involved - mixing, rolling and shaping. Seeing them all beautifully lined up in rows on tea towels for their final dusting of icing sugar is particularly satisfying, and that sense of accomplishment that comes with creating something so beautiful is, for me, magical.
I often make a batch and keep them in an air tight container for a few weeks. They keep really well for a long time, and are great to have on hand for when you feel like a sweet treat. I hope that you love Mum’s recipe for Kourabiedes, it brings me great happiness sharing it with you.
INGREDIENTS FOR KOURABIEDES
500 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup ouzo
6 and 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped and roasted
2 cups icing sugar
HOW TO MAKE KOURABIEDES
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and the sugar has dissolved. Add the oil and beat until well combined. Add the eggs yolks and beat until well combined. Add the ouzo and beat until well combined.
3. If you have a kneading attachment on your mixture, switch to that (otherwise continue by using your hands)
4. Add the flour, vanilla sugar, baking soda and almonds. Knead until all the ingredients have combined well, and you have a soft dough. The dough should not feel very moist. If it does, add a little more flour.
5. Line your baking trays with baking paper.
6. Using your hands, shape the dough into your desired shapes. I like to make my Kourabiedes in a small round shape. To make the traditional crescent shape Kourabiedes, form a long oval shape in your hands and bend it in the middle. You can also use cookie cutters to make various shapes - roll a ball of dough in your hands, place it on your lightly floured workspace, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and press the lightly floured cookie cutter into it.
7. Place the Kourabiedes onto your the baking trays, leaving at least 2cm between them (As they will rise and expand when they bake).
8. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until they are slightly golden in colour. Remove the biscuits from the tray and allow them to cool for 15 minutes.
9. Line some baking paper or a tea towel on a flat surface (you will rest your biscuits here once you have dipped them in icing sugar, and to cool completely). Place half of the icing sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip the base of the biscuit into the icing sugar, and transfer it to the baking paper or tea towel. Repeat this process with all the biscuits. Place the remaining icing sugar in a large sifter and generously dust the top of the biscuits with it. Each biscuit should have a generous layer of icing sugar on it.