Almond Crescents Kourabiedes Recipes

ALMOND CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg, cornstarch, ground almonds and almond extract until dough forms.
• For each cookie; shape rounded teaspoon dough into 2 1/2-inch strip. Taper ends and form crescent shape on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar. Sprinkle with edible glitter.

KOURABIEDES, GREEK BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• In a bowl, cream the softened butter for 3 mts until light and airy. Add the icing sugar and beat for another 4-5 mts.
• Add vanilla extract, lemon zest, rose water and clove powder and mix well. Add the almond powder and mix till well combined.
• Finally add the flour in two batches and mix with a wooden spoon. Do not over beat or mix the mixture. You will have a soft dough. Refrigerate the soft dough for 15 mts.
• Shape the dough into small flattened balls. Make a small indent in the middle of each ball using your thumb. OR you shape the dough into moon shaped crescents as shown in the image above. Place them in a parchment lined cookie sheet/tray. Again refrigerate the shaped cookies in the oven for 15 mts while you pre-heat the oven at 175 C.
• Bake the cookies in the pre-heated oven for 15-18 mts. They will be soft on touch and will be pale in color and will not turn golden. Remove from oven when they are just beginning to change color.
• In a wide plate, add some icing sugar and place the warm cookies. Dust them with more powdered sugar till it coats well. Remember to dust the cookies when they are hot off the oven as the sugar will coat well when the cookies are warm.
• Place in an airtight container and they stay good for at least a week.

ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt; mix briefly to incorporate. Gradually stir 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour into the creamed butter, add almonds, and mix until dough is just combined.
• Shape dough into tiny crescents; place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Roll cookies in sifted confectioners' sugar when cooled.

KOURABIEDES I

Steps:

• Sift flour with baking powder. Set aside.
• Cream butter and gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolk, brandy and vanilla. Beat again until very light. Stir in almonds.
• Blend in flour mixture, mix to form a soft, smooth dough. Chill 30 minutes or until it can be handled easily.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
• Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into crescent-shapes. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Insert whole clove into center of each. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until light...do not brown. Cool on rack. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar.

ALMOND CRESCENTS (KOURABIEDES)

Steps:

• Spread ground almonds in a shallow pan and toast in a 350F degrees oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
• In a bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar and egg yolk, mixing well. Stir in brandy or vanilla and almonds.
• In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending until smooth.
• Pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough and shape into crescents. Place on ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart.
• Bake in a 325F degree oven for 30 minutes or until very lightly browned. Place baking sheets on racks and let cookies cool for 5 minutes.
• Sift about half the 1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar over wax paper and transfer cookies to it. Sift the remaining 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar over top to cover cookies. Let stand until cool, then store in a tightly covered container.

KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter in the bottom of a stand mixer on a medium-high speed for 20 minutes. Add egg and almond extract, mix until combined.
• Sift ½ cup powdered sugar, baking soda, flour and salt together in a large bowl. With the speed on low, add mixture a little bit at a time until completely incorporated. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more of flour.
• To Form: Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into crescents and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silt pad. There is no need to place cookies very far apart, as they do not spread much. Bake for 15-20 minutes until very pale brown and cooked through.
• If serving cookies right away. Let them cool slightly and toss in powdered sugar. Serve within 24 hours. If you want to bake them and then serve later, store in an airtight container in the fridge (or we store them outside when it's cold). When ready to serve, pop in a warm oven until warm, then roll in powdered sugar. *These can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually stir into butter mixture until blended (mixture will be crumbly). , Shape heaping tablespoons of dough into crescents. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool 15 minutes., Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Toss slightly cooled cookies in sugar; return cookies to wire rack to cool completely. , Toss cookies in sugar once more before serving. Store in an airtight container, adding any remaining confectioners' sugar to cover cookies.

KOURABIETHES: GREEK SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer , add the butter and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl and add egg yolks and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Mix well. Add the ouzo, vanilla, and the toasted chopped almonds.
• In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. With the mixer on low, add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated. You don't want to over mix the dough because that will toughen the cookies. Chill the dough for about half an hour to make it easier to handle and roll.
• Heat the oven to 350 F. Have ungreased baking sheets at the ready.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Take a piece of dough about the size of a walnut, roll it into a ball, and place on the cookie sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Alternatively, roll the walnut-sized piece of dough into a log and then curl the ends in and pinch slightly to make a half-moon or crescent shape.
• Stud each cookie in the center with an optional whole clove and bake for 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
• When the cookies are still very warm, dredge in confectioners' sugar. (Handle them with care because they are fragile.) The sugar layer will almost melt and coat the cookies. After the cookies cool a bit, add another dusting of confectioners' sugar.
• After the cookies cool a bit, add another dusting of confectioners' sugar. Store in a covered container with a light dusting for confectioners' sugar for up to one month.