Kourabiethes--Say That Three Times

Just about every cultural group has a version of shortbread cookies dusted with powdered sugar. Greeks are no different. Our version is not just dusted with powdered sugar--we have a heavy snowfall over the cookies just as soon as they're out of the oven! Here's a link to a printable recipe for you to try.

Kourabiethes, or some version of this word, can be found all over the Middle East, Egypt, the Balkans and beyond. Typically the dough will include almonds, although other nuts are used, and there is an aromatic element like ouzo either in the dough or used to spritz the cookies as they come out of the oven prior to being dusted heavily with powdered sugar. I love to use ouzo because it reminds me of Greece immediately.

The flavor profile is subtle. There's the buttery goodness that comes with shortbread, the lightly roasted nut flavor of the almonds, the gentle sweetness and a hint of ouzo. Depending on how long you bake the cookies, they'll have a soft crumbly feel, but just five to ten minutes more will render a satisfying crunch. Play around with the baking time until you find what suits you. Here's a link to a printable recipe for you to try. Some people pat out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut the dough into small shapes, some pinch off the dough and shape in the hands. I do the latter. That's the way I learned from my mother, my grandmother and my Aunt Polly. The shapes are quite simple, a round disc, a ball or a crescent. I always press down lightly on the dough with a fork. Those indentations hold a little more powdered sugar! Clever girl!

IF YOU'RE ON INSTAGRAM...I hope you'll visit me and try my challenge to post a reel saying KOURABIETHES faster than me. While you're there, I hope that you'll follow me for future recipe announcements and more fun.