Greek Butter Cookies (Kourabiedes)

Melt in the mouth buttery, with an effusive coating of powdered sugar, these Greek Butter Cookies (Kourabiedes) are a special Christmas treat.

My earliest memory of Greek Butter Cookies comes from Milwaukee’s Holiday Folk Fair.   Held (approximately) the weekend before Thanksgiving since 1944, it’s a celebration of ethnicity–with dancing, culture and delicious food! 

At age nine, when my parents first deemed me old enough to attend, I gravitated immediately to the sweets–including these Greek Butter Cookies. And while most online pictures of the cookies show a modest coating of powdered sugar (similar to pecan fingers) the Greek booth’s cookies were over the top. 

Set in white cupcake liner papers, they were covered in generous mounds of powdered sugar that cascaded off as you took a bite.  Paired with the equally wonderful honey Diples, that booth was irresistible to anyone with a sweet tooth! 

Today’s recipe is adapted from an old WE Energies Cookie Book, a favorite source of old school recipes.  I made a few changes including omitting the salt (since baking powder is salty), swapping vanilla for some of the brandy, and of course going with the profusion of powdered sugar that I remember from my youth!  

Why You’ll Love This!

Flavorful.  Sweet and melty, Greek Butter Cookies are a sensory delight!

Festive.  With an over-the-top coating of powdered sugar and dressed up in holiday cupcake papers, these cookies are seriously fun and festive!

Traditional.  More than any other season, at Christmas I enjoy sharing traditional recipes that carry the spirit of the ages.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

• Butter.  This adds the buttery goodness.
• Powdered sugar.  This adds sweetness to both the cookie and coating.  It also helps tenderize the cookie.
• Egg yolk.  This adds richness and helps hold the cookie together.
• Vanilla, Brandy.  These add flavor.  I have seen orange water used as well but haven’t tried it.
• Flour.  This forms the bulk of the cookie.
• Baking powder.  This helps the cookie rise (slightly).
• Slivered almonds.  These add flavor but I have also seem them omitted.

Special Tools

• While not an absolute requirement, I suggest using cupcake liners to help you hold the mounds of powdered sugar that endeared these to me as a child!

Step by Step Overview

Cream butter, then gradually add ½ cup powdered sugar

Beat in egg yolk, brandy and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients, then stir into butter mixture being careful not to over mix.

Form into the shape of your choice (e.g. slightly flattened ovals, rounds, or crescents) then bake on ungreased cookie sheet.

Mix brandy and powdered sugar (I used my fingers).  Let the cookies rest until cool enough to handle but still warm.  Roll in the powdered sugar then generously cover sides and top with additional powdered sugar.

Let rest until fully cool, then store at room temperature in airtight container.

Tips & FAQs

There is another type of Greek Butter Cookie as well called Koulourakia.  This doesn’t have a powdered sugar coating and is traditionally served for Easter and other special occasions. 

I made my cookies large and shaped like slightly flattened ovals, which is how I remember them.  But you’ll more often see other shapes like rounds or crescents.  With the larger size I made, I got about 18 cookies.  Some people would make them about half the size and get around 3 dozen.  The original recipe must have made them tiny since they quoted 6 dozen!

These cookies are similar to the popular pecan fingers.  While often I’ll suggest that people feel free to substitute another nut in a recipe, in this case I’d urge you to stick with almonds to retain the differentiation and tradition.

I made my Cookie Week cookies in early to mid-November, then packed some of each away to test how well they’d keep.  For tree decorating on Thanksgiving, I opened up my sealed Tupperware and can testify that these cookies were effectively unchanged from the original.  I’ve heard they’ll last a month (okay not in my house).

And for more great #ChristmasCookiesWeek recipes, check out:

• Christmas Monster Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ginger Bourbon Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Greek Butter Cookies by Art of Natural Living
• Christmas Butter Cookies by Blogghetti
• Red & White Sparkling Brown Sugar Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Gingerbread Pizzelles by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Swiss Lebkuchen by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms by Magical Ingredients
• Tea Cakes by That Recipe
• Christmas Magic Cookie Bars by The Spiffy Cookie

Greek Butter Cookies (Kourabiedies)

Melt in the mouth buttery with an effusive coating ofpowdered sugar, these Greek Butter Cookies are a special Christmas treat.

Author: Inger

5 from 2 votes

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Cookies & Candies

Cuisine Greek

Servings 18

Calories 270 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon brandy
• 2 ½ cups flour fluffed, spooned and leveled, not scooped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup chopped slivered almonds

For coating:

• 1 Tablespoon brandy
• 3 cups powdered sugar approx

Instructions

 

• Cream butter, then gradually add ½ cup powdered sugar
• Beat in egg yolk, brandy and vanilla.
• Combine dry ingredients, then stir into butter mixture being careful not to over mix.
• Form into the shape of your choice (e.g. slightly flattened ovals, rounds, or crescents) then bake at 350 on ungreased cookie sheet until just starting to turn golden, about 15-20 minutes.
• Mix brandy and powdered sugar (I used my fingers). Let the cookies rest until cool enough to handle but still warm. Roll in the powdered sugar then generously cover sides and top with additional powdered sugar.
• Let rest until fully cool, then store at room temperature in airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 106mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 330IUCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

• ← Quick Cranberry Pecan Bread
• Christmas Cowboy Cookies (in a Jar opt.) →