Kourabiedes comes from the Turkish word kurabiye which means biscuit. Shortbreads are not just for Christmas, but can you imagine Greek Christmas without them? Traditionally, kourabiedes were made only at Christmas and New Year, yet now they are made all year round and on all special occasions including Easter, weddings, engagements, name days and birthdays. Wrapped in cellophane with a pretty ribbon, they make excellent favours or gifts. The shape of the biscuits can be varied from rectangular to round, half-moon or star and they taste even better after a few days!

Ingredients (makes 18-20):
1 x 250g unsalted butter, softened
100g icing or caster sugar
1 egg yolk, optional
4 tbsp ouzo or brandy
A few drops of vanilla extract
100g toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
50g ground almonds
50g corn flour, optional
400g plain fine flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

To decorate:
Rosewater for brushing or spraying
Icing sugar

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 170c / 325f / gas mark 3.
Toast the almonds in the oven for 10-15minutes, cool and coarsely chop.
In a medium sized bowl or a food mixer, cream the butter for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy, add the sugar and whisk for another few minutes, then add the egg yolk if using, vanilla, ouzo or brandy.
Using a wooden spoon (not a whisk), gently start mixing the sifted flour, a bit at a time, the cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Continue mixing with your hand, add the ground almonds, chopped nuts and mix lightly until the dough is smooth and firm and doesn’t stick on your hands (avoid working the dough too much, it will make the shortbread tough). Leave the mixture to rest for 15-30 minutes.
Take walnut or tangerine sized pieces of the dough, shape into rounds or oblongs and place on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, not too close together as they will expand during baking. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes; do not allow the biscuits to brown.
Remove the shortbread biscuits from the oven, cool for 5 minutes, and whilst still warm, brush or spray them with rosewater.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and carefully take the biscuits one at a time and coat them completely with the icing sugar. Place on greaseproof paper and sift with more icing sugar to completely cover them. When cooled, store in airtight containers – the flavour will improve after a few days. They can be stored in this way for up to a month.
NB: For star or moon shapes, roll out the dough to 6cm (¼ inch) and cut accordingly.
To make your shortbreads more festive, add red paste food colouring or Wilton colour gel. Dilute 1- 2 teaspoons of red paste with 1 teaspoon of white cider vinegar and add to the mixture before adding the flour.