Kourambiedes (Greek Wedding/Christmas Cookies)

These cookies are so pretty and real festive looking on your table during the holidays. Their pure white color, from the powdered sugar, make it look like snow has fallen onto them. These are also very pretty, and popular to have at weddings since the white color represents purity and innocence, and can symbolize a new beginning.

Not only are they pretty but they also pack a buttery goodness that melts in your mouth. The cookie itself isn’t very sweet so it relies on the powdered sugar to provide most of it’s sweetness. I have fond memories of inhaling these cookies (which isn’t a good thing to do) and choking on the powdered sugar if you breath in at the same time you bite down onto them. Anyone who has had one knows what I mean 🙂 .

You can make these with or without liquor. Some use mastiha, which is a liqueur made from the resin of a mastic tree and has a refreshingly sweet, light and aromatic woodiness, as well as a nutty flavor to it. If you can’t find that you can use cognac, brandy, grand Marnier, or just orange juice. I used grand Marnier this time to give it an orange flavored kick.

You will need:

• 4 sticks butter (2 cups), softened at room temperature
• 4 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon mastiha, cognac, brandy, Grand Marnier, or orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups blanched and toasted almonds, chopped
• Some orange blossom water (optional for topping)
• 2-3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted (for topping)

Steps:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until it’s pale white in color (about 5 minutes).
2. In the meantime mix the baking powder into the flour and set aside.
3. Add the granulated sugar, egg yolks, and orange zest to the butter and beat another minute until well combined.
4. Add the liquor, or OJ, and the vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Slowly add the flower and beat on low until combined. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky to the touch. If it feels sticky, add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time.
5. Lastly, stir in the almonds until well incorporated.
6. Roll out into medium sized balls (a little over a tablespoon worth is a good two-bite size, I used a tablespoon sized scoop) and either leave them round and make a small thumb print in the middle or you can make half moons, or three leaf clover shaped ones, which is what I did since my mother used to make them like this, and it also makes it easy to pick up the cookie. Place them on 2-3 parchment lined baking sheets.
7. Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 20 minutes. The bottoms should be slightly golden.
8. When you take them out of the oven you can sprinkle/spritz/brush the top of the cookies with orange blossom water, if you want. I used a pastry brush and lightly brushed Grand Marnier on top of them for an added kick 🙂 .
9. Using a sifter or a fine mesh strainer, sift a coat of powdered sugar onto a platter or surface that you will be coating the cookies, and using a spatula to gently transfer the cookies onto the powdered sugar while still warm. If you try to pick them up when hot they may crumble, so be careful.
10. After you have transferred the warm cookies to the powdered sugar use the sifter/fine mesh strainer to sift more powdered sugar on top. If you are making these for a later date, after they have completely cooled store in a covered container in layers. When you are ready to serve on a platter, repeat the powdered sugar/sifting process and stack the cookies however high you want. I made a Christmas tree with them 🙂 .

Kali Orexi!