Recipe: Butter and Almond Shortbreads

Recipe Source: Salaman, Rena and Jan Cutler.  The Complete Book of Greek Cooking.  Anness Publishing, London, 2007 p. 245.

By now you've all figured out that I love almonds.  These cookies, traditionally made for Christmas and Easter, provide a whole heaping helping of almonds, but without being overpowering.  I first made them for a family Christmas last year and they went over very well.  Even the dog liked them - he ate an entire tray of the unbaked cookies!  This year, when I saw the Eat Christmas Cookies blogging event being hosted by Foodblogga, I knew that I needed to make them again.  (This was not just an excuse for having Amaretto in the middle of the afternoon, I promise.)  If you're into Christmas cookies - and who isn't, I know people who don't even celebrate Christmas who love Christmas cookies - then you should absolutely check out the rolling roundup of entries.  There are a whole lot of tasty seasonal treats in there! 

I have made a few changes to the recipe, which might make it less authentically Greek but make it more authentically mine.  I used almond extract in place of the vanilla, which I do with a lot of things.  I also used Amaretto instead of brandy, to give it a slightly more luxurious, almondy feel.  (Of course almondy is a word.)  The cookies are traditionally cut into moons and stars, at least according to the book.  I found that the stars were much more delicate than the moons, but I see no reason why you couldn't use different shapes if the mood struck you. 

Butter and Almond Shortbreads (kourabiedes) (makes 34 cookies; approx. $0.17/cookie)

1 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup superfine sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons Amaretto

1 1/4 lb all-purpose flour sifted with a pinch of salt (that's 5 cups)

1 1/4 cups almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

3 cups confectioner's sugar

Equipment:

• Stand mixer
• Baking sheets lined with aluminum foil
• Cookie cutters
• Bowl

1. Cream the butter in the stand mixer.
2. Beat in the sugar gradually, until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla.
4. Mix the baking soda with the Amaretto and stir into the mixture. 
5. Add the flour and salt.  Mix to a firm dough.
6. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and knead the dough with your hands lightly.
7. Add the almonds and knead again. 
8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
9. Roll out about 1/2 of your dough to about 1" thickness.
10. Using your cookie cutters, cut shapes out of the cookies.

11. Bake 20 - 25 minutes, or until pale golden.  Do not let the cookies brown!

12. Put the confectioner's sugar in the bowl.

13. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, carefully put them into the bowl of sugar.  Do this individually - don't try to speed it up by coating more than one cookie at a time.  Carefully coat each cookie in the sugar until they appear pure white. 

Comments

[Susan from Food Blogga]

Amaretto in the afternoon. That beats a cup of tea. ;) I love almond cookies too. Thanks for sharing, and happy holidays!

[Darius T. Williams]

You know - i'm in love with these little cookies - yours look pretty darn good!

[Jude]

Wow 17c a cookie? I'm starting to think local bakeries are ripping me off. I know a place that charges 3 dollars for a thumbsized piece because it had a pinch of fleur de sel on it.

[Fearless Kitchen]

Susan,

I've heard some people put amaretto IN their tea, which sounds heretical to me but if it works for them :)

Darius,

I'll admit they're hard to put down. I only make them if I'm bringing them someplace else, so I'm not tempted by them when I should be eating healthy!

Jude,

Well, I'm not calculating in the overhead or value of my labor....but it sounds like that bakery at least has a good racket going!