Kourabiedes Recipe (Christmas Greek Butter Cookies)

Kourabiedes are traditional Greek butter cookies, which are perfect for Christmas time. These buttery shortbread cookies are soft, yet slightly crunchy from the toasted almonds, and will literally melt in your mouth.

These cookies are a beloved treat in Greek households, and if you haven’t had them before, trust me, you’ll love eating them once you get your hands on them!

They are often made alongside melomakarona, another beautiful and traditional Greek cookie. Together, they are the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit!

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Watch The Video Tutorials
• Ingredients
• Preparation
• Step-By-Step instructions
• Top Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Traditional Greek Christmas Cookies: Kourabiedes are a festive favourite made in many Greek homes during this special time of the year. With their powdered sugar coating, they resemble a snowy white Christmas!
• Soft Yet Crunchy: These buttery shortbread cookies are soft, and crumbly, and have a delightful crunch from beautifully toasted almonds.
• Simple Recipe & Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and clear steps, you’ll enjoy every moment baking these!

Watch The Video Tutorials

Master this family recipe the first time with my two easy-to-follow video guides! Whether you’re short on time or want every detail, I’ve got you covered.

Short video

In-Depth Video

Want more details? Dive into my in-depth YouTube video, where I guide you through every step to ensure you create the perfect Greek Christmas butter cookies.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and share the videos with your family and friends who want to get in on this family tradition and absolutely nail this traditional Greek recipe and create perfect kourabiedes!

Ingredients

• Slivered Almonds: Ensure the almonds are slivered (thinly sliced) and toasted until golden brown. This adds a nutty flavour and crispy texture to the cookies.
• Unsalted Butter: The most important ingredient for that rich, buttery taste. Make sure it’s soft and at room temperature for easy creaming.
• Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, it sweetens the dough and creates a smoother texture. It dissolves easily, giving the cookies a delicate crumb. Use for sweetness and to achieve their iconic snowy coating.
• Brandy (Metaxa) & Ouzo: These traditional Greek spirits are key to making this taste just like my grandmother’s recipe. Don’t worry, most of the alcohol bakes off but leaves a fantastic flavour!
• Eggs: Use good quality eggs to bind the dough together while adding richness and structure. We are using the whole eggs, both egg yolks and whites.
• Vanilla extract/Essense: A touch of pure vanilla extract adds light sweetness and warmth, perfectly balancing all the flavours.
• Self-Raising Flour: Ensures the cookies hold their shape while remaining light and crumbly. We don't use all-purpose flour in this recipe.

Preparation

Like most cookie recipes, this is very simple! But the easiest way to make sure things run as smooth as possible is to be prepared before starting.

• Soften the Butter: Make sure the unsalted butter is at room temperature. This ensures it creams easily and gives the cookies their buttery texture. I’ve put this first because you need to give it plenty of time to soften!
• Toast the Almonds: Toast your slivered almonds until golden brown to enhance their nutty flavour. Let them cool completely before adding to the dough. This step is in the recipe, I’ve added it here in case you want to get it out of the way early.
• Measure Ingredients: Have all your ingredients ready and measured, including sifting the self-raising flour to avoid lumps in the dough.
• Prepare the Tools: Line your baking tray with parchment paper/ baking sheet and preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Have your cookie cutter ready—I use a 7cm diameter circle cutter. Also, set up a wire rack for cooling down the hot cookies if possible.
• Set Up Your Mixer: Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment for creaming the butter and sugar. Ensure you have the paddle attachment ready for mixing the dough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer, but you’ll need to finish by incorporating the flour mixture with your hands.
• A Large Bowl for Coating with Sugar: Use a large bowl for your powdered icing sugar. This makes it easy to coat your kourabiedes evenly.
• A Nice Cake Stand for Presentation: These are the perfect holiday treat, so presenting them beautifully on a cake stand adds that extra festive touch for this special time of year.

Step-By-Step instructions

Follow these steps to bring these Greek Christmas butter cookies to life! Use the images as a guide, and let me walk you through the entire process in my short-form or long-form videos for easy, stress-free, and happy baking.

Toast the Almonds

1. Prepare the Pan: Add a small amount of olive oil to a pan and coat it evenly with a paper towel.
2. Toast the Almonds: Place the raw almonds (slivered) in the pan and toast them over low-medium heat, stirring frequently with a spoon to prevent burning.
3. Shake the Pan: Shake the pan occasionally to ensure even browning. Toast until the almonds are golden and fragrant.
4. Cool the Almonds: Remove the toasted almonds from the pan and transfer them to a bowl to cool completely before adding them to the dough.

Prepare the Cookie Dough

1. Cream the Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the soft, room-temperature butter with the powdered sugar. Beat on high speed until the mixture is white and fluffy.
2. Incorporate the Wet Ingredients: Switch to the paddle attachment and add the brandy, ouzo, vanilla essence, and eggs all at once. Mix on low speed until fully combined.
3. Gradually Add the Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the self-raising flour into the bowl in batches, mixing after each addition. If you haven’t already sifted the flour, sift it directly into the bowl to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth dough. This helps keep the dough light and easy to handle.
4. Add the Almonds: Before adding the final portion of flour, add the cooled toasted almonds to the bowl and continue mixing until they are evenly distributed.
5. Form the Dough: Add the remaining flour and mix until the dough comes together. It should be soft, pliable, and not sticky. If it sticks to your hands, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time.

Shape the Cookies

1. Divide the Dough: Start by dividing your dough into manageable portions. If you’re using the original recipe, I recommend dividing it into about 4 pieces.
2. Form the Dough Line: Take one portion, roll it out, and press it down with your hands to form a straight line. This line should be roughly the width or slightly larger than your cookie cutter and about 2 cm thick.
3. Start Cutting: Place your cookie cutter at the end of the dough line and cut, discarding the first uneven pieces by adding them back to another portion of your dough. This ensures all cookies are uniform and have the perfect crescent shape.
4. Press and Shape: Place the cookie cutter back onto the dough as shown in the photo above. Press down firmly, then push or pull the cutter away from the dough to release the shape.
5. Check the Shape: Remove the dough from the cutter and ensure you’re happy with its crescent shape. Adjust as needed to achieve the perfect look or add the dough to another pile to use again after.
6. Place on Baking Sheet and Repeat: Arrange the shaped cookies onto a baking sheet. Continue shaping the remaining dough portions until all cookies are ready

Baking

1. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 180°C (fan-forced) and allow it to fully preheat while you finish shaping the cookies. If the cookies are already shaped, I recommend covering them with plastic wrap to prevent drying out while you wait.
2. Arrange the Cookies: Place the shaped cookies onto a baking trays/ cookie trays lined with parchment paper. Ensure they are evenly spaced, leaving enough room between each cookie as they will rise and expand slightly while baking.
3. Bake Until Golden: Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through for even baking. The cookies should be golden but still slightly pale. You may need to slightly adjust the baking time, but just avoid getting them too dark.
4. Cool Completely: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool just enough so you can handle them safely. Then, transfer them gently to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coating and Finishing

1. Place the Cookies: Place a few of your cooled cookies into the bowl filled with powdered sugar. I usually work with about 4 at a time for my size bowl.
2. Coat Generously: Grab some of the powdered sugar and sprinkle it over the top of the cookies. Then gently roll them around in the bowl to ensure all sides are evenly and generously coated in the powdered confectioner’s sugar.
3. Arrange for Serving: Carefully place the coated cookies onto a cake stand or serving tray. Their snowy white appearance makes them the perfect centerpiece for the holiday season.
4. Arrange for Gifting: If gifting, arrange these beautiful Greek cookies neatly on a plate in a single layer for a polished presentation. Carefully cover them, and for an extra step, why not top the plate with a festive Christmas card to make it truly special?
5. Enjoy: Whether celebrating with family, sharing with friends, or giving as a gift for special occasions, these cookies are sure to delight. Their soft texture, nutty crunch, and festive charm make them the best way to say “Happy Holidays!”

Top Tips

• Room Temperature Butter is Key: Use soft, room-temperature butter to ensure it creams properly with the sugar, giving the cookies their buttery texture. Avoid melted butter, as it affects the dough’s consistency.
• Keep Almonds Small: For the perfect texture in these butter almond cookies, make sure the slivered almonds are small. If needed, give them a quick blitz in a food processor to prevent large chunks from disrupting the delicate balance of the cookies.
• Add an Extra Festive Touch: Lightly spritz the cookies with rose water or orange blossom water before coating them in sugar for a subtle aroma and extra flavour. This tradition is common in many recipes from parts of Greece and adds a delightful festive note.
• Cool Before Coating: Allow the cookies to cool completely before coating them in powdered sugar. Warm cookies absorb the sugar and lose their snowy white appearance.
• Avoid Overmixing the Dough: Mix the dough until just combined to keep the texture light and crumbly, ensuring the perfect melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Serving Suggestions

• Different Shapes and Variations: While the crescent shape is traditional in my family, you can try a round shape for a classic look or get creative by cutting them into stars for a festive touch.
• Gifting Plate: Kourabiedes make a fantastic addition to a gifting plate, especially when paired with my chocolate-stuffed melomakarona recipe for a delicious twist on the classic Greek Christmas honey cookies.
• Greek Coffee Pairing: These cookies are perfect alongside a warm cup of Greek coffee. For a complete Greek experience, try them with other classics like my Cypriot paximadia (for savory), Greek paximadia (Greek biscotti), or for a sweeter biscuit to enjoy with your coffee, my beautiful koulourakia recipe is a must!
• Festive Occasions: If you’re baking for New Year’s, pair kourabiedes with my vasilopita recipe. This traditional Greek New Year’s cake is the perfect way to bring good luck and sweet moments to your celebration.

Storage

To keep your Kourabiedes fresh and delicious, store them in an airtight container at room temperature in a dry place, away from direct sunlight and any heat sources. They will stay good for up to a month.

Cake Stand

If you’re stacking them for presentation on a cake stand with a lid in your kitchen, have a little extra powdered sugar and a small sift handy. Just before serving, gently sprinkle some sugar over the cookies to freshen them up and restore their snowy appearance.

Freezing

It's not something I recommend but, if you want to freeze your kourabiedes, allow them to cool completely first, then freeze them without the powdered sugar. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw them at room temperature and then apply the powdered sugar coating for the perfect finish.

FAQ

📖 Recipe