Greek Shortbread Recipes

KOURAMBIETHES (GREEK ALMOND SHORTBREADS)

Steps:

• Gently melt the butter over low heat in a small heavy-based saucepan; without stirring or shaking the pan. Carefully pour the clear butter into another container, leaving the white sediment in the pan to be discarded. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
• Grind the slivered almonds to a medium fine meal.
• In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the chilled butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar and combine well. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and ouzo and beat until just combined. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and the almond meal.
• Shape heaped tablespoons of mixture into crescents, place on the baking trays and bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly colored.
• Remove from the oven and dust liberally with icing sugar. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust the paper with icing sugar. Lift the warm biscuits onto this and dust again with the icicng sugar. When the biscuits are cool, dust them once again with the icing sugar before storing them in an airtight container.

KOURAMBIATHES (GREEK COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter, egg yolk and anise extract until light. Stir in the 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and flour until blended.
• Shape dough into crescents and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven just until bottoms and edges begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar before they are completely cool.

HONEY SHORTBREAD (GREECE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then grease & flour several baking sheets.
• FOR THE SHORTBREAD ~ In a medium bowl whisk or sift flour, baking powder & baking soda together.
• In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, brandy, OJ & zest.
• Gradually add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, combining well after each addition.
• Shape dough into ovals about 3 inches long, & place them well apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake about 20 minutes, then remove from oven & allow to cool on the baking sheets.
• (At this point, if freezing the shortbread, allow to cool COMPLETELY, then wrap well & freeze up to 2 months. When ready to serve from frozen, defrost thoroughly before coating with syrup, nuts & cinnamon.).
• FOR THE SYRUP ~ If you are not going to freeze the shortbread, in a saucepan, mix syrup ingredients together & bring to a boil.
• Boil rapidly for 5 minutes to thicken, then allow to cool.
• Dip cooled shortbread into the syrup & sprinkle with nuts & cinnamon, allowing to set slightly before serving.

GREEK SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade. Line 2 large baking trays.
• Cream butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg yolk.
• Sift the flour and cornflour and add ground almonds. Mix gently combining everything.
• Make the biscuits (likely to make between 50-70). Break the dough into marble sized pieces and form into barrels or crescent shapes (although round marbles are ok). Place on baking tray with about a cm between each. Bake for 25 mins- the biscuits want to be set but not coloured.
• Once the biscuits are cool dip them quickly into the rosewater and then roll them about in a bowl of icing sugar. You want the biscuit to be entirely coated. I suggest using one hand to dip the biscuit in the water and one hand to cover them in icing sugar- this way you won't end up with really wet/sticky hands. Pack them into a tin, sprinkling a layer of icing sugar as you go.