Greek "Kourabiedes" Christmas Cookies
BY Tony Marban
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of butter at room temperature
3 cups of roasted, unsalted almonds
1/2 cup of white sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of brandy
3 cups of confectioner's powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Beat together the butter, egg yolks, and white sugar. Slowly add brandy, cinnamon and almonds to the mixture. Add one cup of flour at a time to the mixture, combining with the other ingredients, until all the flour has been added. Place the dough on a non-stick surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough feels relatively dry. Roll the dough into round cookies about 1/2 inch thick and about 2 inches in diameter. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they are a slightly golden color. Place confectioner's sugar in a strainer and sprinkle a serving platter. With a spatula, carefully place a layer of cookies on the platter and sprinkle generously with confectioner's sugar so that all visible cookie surfaces are covered with sugar. Repeat with a second and third row, if necessary, dusting the cookies completely with sugar. Serve and enjoy! Makes about 50 cookies.