Learn how to make authentic Greek Traditional Christmas Sweet: Kourabiedes!
This recipe comes from grandma, as well and it is truly delicious.
It also provides step-by-step pictures to make sure that you make no mistake.
These are the ingredients you are going to need:
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½ kg pure butter in room temperature
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1 kg soft wheat flour (you will probably use less)
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1 kg icing sugar ( to sprinkle them when ready!)
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4 tablespoons full of finely chopped white almonds
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2 egg yolks
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1 shotglass mastic liqueur
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1 shotglass cognac
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2 tablespoons caster sugar ( to put inside the dough)
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1 dose vanilla powder
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flower water for cooking to sprinkle as soon as they come out from the oven
PREPARATION:
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Preheat the oven at 350 degrees (or 180 C)
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Saute the almonds until golden brown - use pure butter.
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Set all your ingredients, so you have everything ready.
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Sift the flour in a separate large bowl.
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Cream the butter until it becomes fluffy and white - it takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
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Pour in 2 tablespoon of castersugar, the egg yolks and the Vanilla Powder.
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Add the mastic shotglass, the cognac and finally the almonds.
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Add little by little the sift flour and start moulding your dough with your hands until it is slightly firm ( you want them nice and fluffly not like doornob !)
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Time to give shape! well, this is really important, because kourabiedes tend to almost double their size while being baked.
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Take a small portion in your hand (like a cap of a water botttle) and mould it round.
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Slighly push the dough in the bottomside and place it on your baking sheet.
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Bake for approx 20 minutes at 350 degrees (or 180C) - they need to remain almost white.
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When you pull them out from the oven, spray them with a little bit of flower water and then quickly sprinkle them with icing sugar!
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Wait until they are cold to store them, or the sugar will be moistened.
Enjoy!
Love,
Katsikaki (aka Baby Goat)