Kourabiedes (Κουραμπιέδες) — Greek Almond Butter Cookies Dusted with Powdered Sugar

• 250 gunsalted butter, softened (soft but cool, about 18–20°C)
• 80 gpowdered sugar (plus more for coating)
• 1egg yolk
• 15 mlbrandy (or cognac)
• 5 mlvanilla extract
• 120 gblanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (toast at 160°C for 10–12 min, cool fully)
• 330 gall-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 4 gbaking powder (about 1 tsp)
• 2 gfine sea salt (about 1/3 tsp)
• 10 mlrose water (optional but traditional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the almonds at 160°C until fragrant and lightly golden, then cool them completely before chopping. Cooling is essential because warm nuts will melt the butter and make the dough greasy.

2. 2

   In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. This prevents pockets of leavening and helps the cookies bake uniformly.

3. 3

   Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium-high speed for 6 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Proper aeration is what gives kourabiedes their delicate, shortbread-like crumble.

4. 4

   Add the 80 g powdered sugar and beat for 2 more minutes, scraping down the bowl once. The mixture should look whipped and smooth, not dense or oily.

5. 5

   Mix in the egg yolk, then add the brandy and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Overmixing after adding liquids can warm the butter too much, so keep this step brief.

6. 6

   Fold in the cooled chopped almonds on low speed for 10–15 seconds, just to distribute them. You want the almonds suspended in the dough without breaking down into almond meal.

7. 7

   Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low only until a soft dough forms and no dry flour remains. Stop as soon as it comes together because extra mixing will toughen the cookies and reduce their melt-in-the-mouth texture.

8. 8

   Cover the dough and rest it for 15 minutes at room temperature to hydrate the flour and make shaping easier. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

9. 9

   Portion the dough into 24 pieces of about 33 g each and shape into small crescents or rounded domes. Place them 3 cm apart on the trays and press very lightly to stabilize the shape without compacting the dough.

10. 10

    Bake for 16–18 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, until the bottoms are light golden and the tops remain pale. Kourabiedes should not brown deeply; they finish setting as they cool.

11. 11

    Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool for another 10 minutes. They are fragile when hot, so moving them too soon can cause cracking.

12. 12

    If using rose water, lightly mist or brush 10 ml over the warm cookies for a subtle floral aroma. Immediately sift a generous layer of the 180 g powdered sugar over them, then let them cool completely and sift a second light coat for the classic snowy finish.