Slimmercook

These are a traditional Christmas treat in Greece. This is one third of my mother-in-law’s recipe, hence odd measurements; the full batch is for sharing with her offspring (my husband and his sister) and treating any visitors during the festive season, but my husband and I like them so much that I make extra ones before my mother-in-law gets around to it, and if I say so myself, mine are now at least as good as hers. Greeks also make melomakarona for Xmas but I’m not keen on them, unless they haven’t been dipped in honey (but do ask if you want the recipe).
170-335g almonds, blanched and toasted in oven until golden and fragrant–watch they do not burn. Try to keep almonds whole. If you haven’t made these before it may be easier to start with the smaller amount of almonds so the kourabiedhes will be easier to cut/shape, but ideally for a really luxurious kourabie there should be at least one almond in each bite. These should be toasted a couple of hours in advance so they are cold when you add them to the dough.
With an electric mixer whip
335g mixed ewe’s and goat’s butter (it’s really worth searching for this, perhaps try ethnic Cypriot or Arabic stores, if you cannot find it then unmixed ewe’s butter can be used; if even that is not available best quality cow’s butter will have to do but you won’t get that incredible aroma*)
for at least 10′ until white. Then add
1/3 cupful icing sugar, sifted
1 large egg yolk
1/2 Tbsp brandy
and whip a bit longer, then add
550-650g sifted soft flour (not sure if that’s the word in English, I mean flour for cakes, not strong flour with high gluten for bread)–sift half of this first with
1 tsp baking powder
Mix into butter, then gradually add enough flour to made a fairly stiff mixture (it may not take the full 650g) the texture of an earlobe.
By hand gently mix in the cold toasted almonds.
Turn out onto a clean counter or table (marble would be ideal). Pat down flat to about 1-1.5 cm thickness. Then cut out crescents using an upside down glass (I have a nice beer glass which curves in near the bottom to form a knob, which is easier to grip with buttery hands). Cookie cutters would only work if you have deep ones. Wiggle the glass as it goes down to try to keep almonds whole, if you press straight down you would end up with crushed almonds. If this is too difficult you can shape the kourabiedhes by hand, either crescents or little flattened rounds. Place on a baking tray as you go. Gather up scraps, pat flat and repeat–the last scraps will have to be shaped by hand.
Bake in 175 oC oven until pale golden colour–watch carefully, do not overdo. They will seem underdone.
Meanwhile sift
c300g icing sugar evenly onto large shallow trays or the kitchen table (my mother-in-law covers this first with paper used for making dressmaking patterns)
As soon as the kourabiedhes are out of the oven, lift very carefully with a fish slice and slide onto the bed of icing sugar. They will still be soft and fragile at this stage. If you find this difficult at first, leave to cool a bit until they set, but they won’t absorb so much icing sugar if they are completely cold. (*If you were unable to find goat’s or at least ewe’s butter you could sprinkle the kourabiedhes with rose water at this stage to add a bit of flavour to the cow’s butter, but don’t spoil the aroma of real ewe’s & goat’s butter if you used that.) Then sift
c400g icing sugar directly onto the kourabiedhes
Leave to cool completely, then carefully pile them into a stack on a pretty serving dish (with clear domed lid if possible), scrape together icing sugar remaining on the trays and resift to cover again–you want to get a snowy effect. Any icing sugar remaining on the serving dish after kourabiedhes have been eaten will be fragrant with butter and can be used to make a cake.
Please don’t let the length of this post put you off, I have tried to describe as fully as possible, it would be much easier just to watch me make them They are a bit delicate so I have tried to give easier alternatives for beginners.
Enjoy! As they say in Greece, if you make them you will remember me