Tuesday, May 5, 2009

GREEK POWDER COOKIES



















I was honored to attend the Wedding Shower of my great friend Elina whose wedding I will also be attending this summer in Greece! Olives and figs here I come! The shower was at a really nice space in Long Island City, called the Island, right near Kauffman Astoria Studios. The food was very good, but even better were the homemade Greek Cookies Elina's "thea" or aunt made. Kourabiedes, pronounced: Koo-Ram-Biethes, they are best described as a not very sweet almond butter cookie covered with powdered sugar. Meri, a lovely Greek woman whom I was delighted to chat with all day gave me her version of the recipe. Meri's advise: "work the dough silky" so the cookies don't dry out." When I shockingly asked her about the 4 sticks of butter, she said with her hands spread wide, "well you're going to make a lot!" Duh, they are Greek cookies, I have to make enough to feed an entire village.

Greek Powder Cookies (Koo-Ram-Biethes)
Disclaimer: I have never tried this recipe and Meri relayed it through memory, so I am not sure how they will come out.

1/4 C. Confectioner's Sugar plus more for powdering
5 C. of Flour
1 Egg Yoke
4 Sticks Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBSP Ouzo
2 C. crushed toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, egg white and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla, ouzo and almonds). Sift flour and baking powder, the gradually add the wet ingredients. At this point you can hand-mix, and really "work the dough until its silky" on the counter. Meri said you won't need to go to the gym that day. Really work it! Roll the dough out and cut the edges of the dough with a  small cup into crescent shapes. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Cool then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  




1 comment:

Jenny Holiday & Aaron said...

ummmmm YES PLEASE!!! 2 dozen would be quite nice! :)