Greek Christmas Cookies Kourambiedes Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for 15 minutes, until it begins to turn white. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add the egg yolks, the brandy, vanilla extract, and gradually add the flour, until you have a dough that is neither too soft nor too firm (you may need to add slightly more than the amount I've written); stir in the almonds.
• Let the dough stand for an hour at room temperature, covered with a clean dish towel.
• Next, with small amounts (about 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough), shape small rounds by gently rolling the dough around between the palms of your hands.
• Arrange the round cookies on a buttered pan and flatten ever so slightly on top with your hand.
• Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
• Immediately upon removing the kourambiedes from the oven, sprinkle them with rose water (or orange water or ouzo. I do this by putting a small amount of the liquid in a bowl, wetting my fingertips, and shaking the droplets over the hot cookies a few times. The scented water or ouzo gives the cookies a very delicate fragrance).
• Roll the hot cookies in icing sugar to cover and let cool.
• When cool, arrange on a pretty holiday platter, sieving more icing sugar between the cookie layers to give a snowdrift effect.

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and salt and whip until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar, egg, brandy, and vanilla and beat until all of the ingredients are integrated. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add sifted flour to the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, remove the dough and transfer it onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes before rolling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• After the dough has cooled, pinch off small pieces and roll them into about 1-inch balls. Place them in a single layer with space in between each, on a greased baking sheet. Repeat the process until all of the cookie dough has been rolled. Place a clove in the center of each cookie. Alternatively, shape the ball into half moons with a clove in the center of each.
• Place the sheets in the oven and bake until the cookies are just slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool thoroughly, and then roll them in powdered sugar.

Steps:

• 1. Cream the butter until light, creamy & fluffy. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar & continue beating the mixture until smooth & well blended. Add the egg yolk & the brandy and beat until smooth.
• 2. Add the sifted flour & chopped almonds a little at a time continue beating for about half hour or until it's firm enough to handle easily.
• 3. With floured hands shape pieces of dough into small balls about 1 1/2 in. in diameter, flatted each one with the palm of your hand or make in crescent shape or any other shape you like by using a cookie cutter.
• 4. Preheat oven 350F (175C) Place your kourambithes on a lined with wax paper cookie sheet. If you want stick a whole clove on top of each flatten cookie. Bake the kourambiethes for 15-20 minutes, always keeping an eye on them as oven differ and might burn. They should not brown on top.
• 5. When done remove from oven. While still hot sprinkle them with rosewater and dust with icing sugar. Place them on a serving dish allowing to cool and dust again with icing sugar.
• 6. Note: We usually place them on a round platter in a pyramid shape and then dust them all over. Too many cookies? The cookie dough can be divided, and the unused portion stored in the refrigerator. Wrap well in plastic wrap, and it will keep for up to two months. When ready to use, remove from refrigerator and let the dough sit for an hour. Then, beat with the mixer briefly to aerate the dough. To store: Kourabiethes will keep for several months if stored in airtight containers. Make sure there's a dusting of powdered sugar on the bottom of the container, then layer cookies as above, each layer with a covering of sugar. Wait one day after baking to cover with an airtight lid. They also keep and freeze beautifully, and when serving to others after they have been stored, just give them a fresh coat of confectioners sugar. Only one negative - you can't sneak eating one of these because of the confectioners sugar dusting you get all over yourself!"

Steps:

• 1. STAXTO-NERO: Add the ash to the water, bring to the boil, let sit for five minutes, bring back to the boil, remove from the heat and strain. Use a fine strainer. The water will look dark, pour into a glass and leave for about 10 minutes, sediment will settle at the bottom of the glass, pour into a clean glass leaving the sediment, which you just throw away. Now you have staxto-nero!
• 2. Put a little butter in a pan and add the almonds, stir continually until they are slightly toasted.
• 3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, margarine and 1/2 cup caster sugar for about five minutes. Should be white and airy. Add toasted almonds, vanilla and staxto-nero. MIX WELL WITH A WOODEN SPOON.
• 4. Gradually add the flour, you may use slightly less then 10000 grams, depending on the flour. Use you hands to knead it, the dough should not stick to your hands, but moist enough to be able to shape, and hold the cookie shape.
• 5. Bake at 200 for 12-15 minutes. The cookies will still be a pale color but are ready when they start to slightly brown around the edges.
• 6. While you're waiting for the cookies to bake, get your tray ready. Sift plenty of caster sugar covering the whole tray. remove the cookies from the oven and while still hot arrange in lines on the tray and immediately dredge lots of caster sugar on top. It's best to leave them overnight and dredge again next day. In my house that wasn't possible, kids ate them right away!! The cookies can be stored in an air-tight container for several days. Good luck with that!