I know this much is true: Without fail, my mom whips up the best kourabiedes (AKA Greek Christmas cookies AKA Mexican wedding cakes) every holiday season. For those of you not-in-the-know, they’re a deliciously buttery biscuit with a crunchy bite replete with a rich almond flavor. Today we baked a large batch of these scrumptious cookies smothered in powdered sugar and I felt it was high time to share my mom’s recipe with you because we don’t gatekeep here!
INGREDIENTS:
4 sticks sweet butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
Splash of vanilla extract
Splash of cognac
Spoonful baking powder
1 bag sliced almonds
Powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
4 cups flour (or more depending on consistency)
PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 200 degrees and place almond slices on a baking tray. Bake almond slices until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool. In a standing mixer, add butter and sugar and whip together. Add cognac, vanilla extract and eggs. Gradually, add the flour. Mix until it’s a Play Doh-like consistency. Set batter aside and let rest 2 hours. After the batter rests, add 2 cups of toasted almonds and blend with your hands. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Now it’s time to shape them into cookies. Roll each cookie into a small ball using the palm of your hands and then squash them. Use a cookie cutter of your choice — I prefer hearts, stars and moons. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes on a cookie sheet. Once cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Happy holidays!
