Kourambies Greek Christmas Cookies With Cashew Nuts Recipes

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

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:

• 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:

• Beat the butter with the icing sugar with a whisker or kitchen machine for 15-20 until they become creamy and fluffy (you will notice that the volume will be doubled).
• Sift the flour and baking powder.
• Add flour mixture to the butter and stir with the hand until all the flour is absorbed. You will notice that the dough will become very fragile and it should be like that.
• Add the nuts and the rum (or brandy) and continue mixing well with your hand.
• The right kourambies dough should just hold itself together.
• Form round cookies 1 inch diameter and press them softly with your finger at the top. Don't worry if it gets easily destroyed. That's the way it should be. Apply small pressure and everything will go fine :).
• Place in a baking sheet (keep some distance between them as they will rise softly).
• Bake in preheated oven at 200°F (390°F) for 15 minutes. They should become lightly golden. I like mine baked until golden brown, but the traditional ones shouldn't have color. Try for yourself and pick your favorite.
• Let them cool completely. Arrange a layer in a dish and sift icing sugar on top. Repeat with the next layer. The amount of icing sugar really depends on your taste. I recommend a 3mm layer of icing sugar on top but again find your favorite quantity.
• Keep them airtight because they become soft very easily when left exposed in humidity and that's something terrible for a kourambies cookie.
• This recipe requires some kitchen experience so don't be easily disappointed if at first you don't succeed.

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!"