These Greek Christmas Cookies (Kourampiedes) are a classic Greek cookie. Festive, delicious, crumbly almond shortbread cookies that melt in your mouth!!! Usually are made with butter but I substitute a large part of butter with shortening. They’re buttery, crumbly, sweet, but not too sweet, and the perfect holiday treat!
Author: Nectaria
Servings: 45-50 cookies
INGREDIENTS
For the cookies
450 gr./ 15.87 oz. shortening
50 gr./ 1.76 oz. unsalted butter or goat butter
250 gr./ 8.82 oz. powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons Greek ouzo or vodka
150 gr./ 5.29 oz.slivered almonds lightly toasted, chopped
800 gr./ 28.21 oz. pastry flour or all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
For decoration
100 gr./ 3.53 oz. ouzo or vodka
100 gr./ 3.53oz. flower water or rose water
500 gr./ 17.63 oz. confectioners’ sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 180 C° / 355 F°.
Mix together ouzo and flower water and put them in a clean plant mister.
In a medium size bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Place almonds in an ungreased baking pan. Bake at 180 C° / 355 F° until lightly browned, 5-10 minutes, stirring several times. When cool, process in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, either using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer beat goat butter, shortening and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the ouzo or vodka, almond and vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour and almonds into creamed mixture and mix until soft crumbly dough is formed. Don’t over mix them.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Break off small pieces of dough, form into a small ball. Press the dough ball to flatten a bit and place on baking sheet.
Repeat until all dough it used.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are golden brown. Remove kourampiedes from oven and spray them with some flower water/ouzo mixture. Carefully roll warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar.