Kourambiedes, Kourabiedes, Or Whatever You Call These Greek Butterballs

Years ago, a friend shared her in-laws' recipe for Kourambiedes. Throughout the years, I  have adapted the recipe and made it my own. I've posted them as Kourabiedes. And, really, I'd have to do some more reading about why they are called different things. But, kourambiedes, kourabiedes, whatever you call these Greek butterballs, they are delicious!

Traditionally, on Labor Day weekend, we hit up the three-day festival of all things Greek at the Custom House Plaza down by the wharf, meeting up with my parents and friends. Often we plan our days and grab lunch or dinner there on all three of the days that it runs. But, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival was cancelled.  Boo. Faced with a Labor Day weekend without these delectable Greek butterball cookies, I felt like this...

That's how Gabey felt when they sold out of Kourabiedes one time.

Because, he, like the rest of us, really love those cookies! So, I told him Auntie Cam would take care of it this year. Done...

Ingredients 

makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

• 1 pound butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup organic turbinado sugar (you can use whatever sugar you have)
• 4 cups flour plus more as needed (I added another 1/2 cup later)
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 t licorice liqueur (I was out of Ouzo, so I used a combination of Sambuca and Finochietto)
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 cups organic powdered sugar for rolling cookies

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and baking soda until well-combined. Set aside.

Beat butter until lightened and fluffy. Add egg and sugar, beat until well-combined. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time until completely incorporated. Add in the liqueur and extract. If the dough is too wet - mine was - add in 1/4 cup flour at a time until it is no longer sticky.

To form, scoop about 1 to 2 tablespoons of dough into circles and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. You can also roll these into crescent or flatten them if you wish.

These cookies don't expand, so you don't need to space them very far apart. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned and firm. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. 

Place powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl and add 3 to 4 cookies to it at a time. Very gently roll the cookies to coat with sugar.