Butter & almond shortbreads

Name: Butter & almond shortbreads
Yield: Makes 20–22
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 500 g/1¼ lb/5 cups plain/all-purpose flour sifted with a pinch of salt; 500 g/1¼ lb/5 cups plain/all-purpose flour sifted with a pinch of salt; 350 g/12 oz/3 cups icing/confectioners’ sugar; 500 g/1¼ lb/5 cups plain/all-purpose flour sifted with a pinch of salt; 2.5 ml/½ tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda; 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla extract; 45 ml/3 tbsp brandy; 2.5 ml/½ tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda; 150 g/5 oz/¾ cup caster/superfine sugar; 225 g/8 oz/1 cup unsalted butter; 2 egg yolks; 150 g/5 oz/¾ cup caster/superfine sugar; 150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups blanched almonds; 350 g/12 oz/3 cups icing/confectioners’ sugar

Preparation info

Makes
20–22

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Food & Cooking of Greece

By Rena Salaman

Published 2023

About

Dazzling white kourabiethes are traditionally made at Christmas and Easter, but are also an important feature of many other Greek celebrations. They are usually crescent-shaped, but I have cut them into stars for a festive feel. Use whichever cutters you have to hand.

Ingredients

150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups blanched almonds
225

Europe
Greece
Mediterranean
Winter
Vegetarian
Cookies

Method

To toast the almonds, brown them in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan often. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, then chop coarsely in a food processor.

Cream the butter and beat in the caster sugar gradually, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla extract.