Greek Cookies With Powdered Sugar

This recipe for Greek cookies with powdered sugar makes about 33 (20 gram) cookies. It can be made with or without the use of a mixer. Great for giving as Christmas gifts or sharing at any special occasion.

INSTRUCTIONS

Toasting the nuts

Place the nuts into a dry frying pan and cook over medium heat while stirring. Cook the nuts until they turn a light brown colour, transfer to a plate and allow to cool, then roughly chop the nuts.
Note: once the nuts have light browned remove from the pan. If left to cool in the pan they will continue to cook from the heat left in the pan.

Prepare the butter

Allow the butter to come to room temperature several hours before you start making the recipe.
If you are using a mixer:
Place the butter into a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer and beat on medium/high speed until light and fluffy – about 5- 10 minutes.
If you don’t have a mixer:
You will need to make sure that the butter is very soft. It needs to be so soft that it can be mixed easily with a spatula. It should be lump free and smooth, almost like a whipped cream consistency.
Depending on the temperature of the day, you may need to soften the butter a little more with heat, be careful not to melt the butter into a liquid.
However, if you do melt it slightly don’t worry you can still use it, just put it in the fridge for 5 - 10 minutes, to cool down and firm up a little.
Then place the softened butter into a large mixing bowl and give it a quick stir with a spatula.

Making the cookie dough

Sift the icing sugar into the bowl with the butter, mix well with a wooden spoon.
Add the egg yolk, vanilla, ouzo (or water) and mix until it just combined.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, then add the almond meal and chopped nuts. Stir well until just combined.

Shaping the cookies

If you are making this on a very hot day or, the dough is too soft to work with, refrigerate for about 30 – 60 minutes, before shaping the cookies.
Option 1: Crescent shapes
Take spoonfuls (20 grams) of the mixture and roll on the bench to form small logs about 9 cm long, then curve the dough into a “C” shape. Place the shapes, spaced well apart onto baking trays lined with baking paper.
Option 2: Make balls
Take spoonfuls (20 grams) of the mixture and roll into balls between your hands. These can be left as balls or press the centre with you thumb for thumbprint cookies. Place the shaped cookie dough spaced will apart onto baking trays lined with baking paper.
Option 3: Make cut out cookies
Make sure the dough is chilled and slightly firm when making cut out cookies.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough lightly to form a ball. Then lightly dust the bench before shaping the dough into a square or rectangular shape that’s about 1 cm thick.
Cut shapes using cookie cutters that are about 4 cm in size. Then combine the dough scraps and press out again into a 1 cm thick square and cut out more shapes, repeat until all the dough is used.
Use a spatula to lift and transfer the cut cookie shapes to baking trays lined with baking paper, spacing them well apart.

Chill the dough before baking

Place the trays with dough shapes into the fridge for about 1 hour before baking.
Note: At this stage you could also freeze the cookie dough shapes to bake later.
To freeze: Fit as many cookie shapes onto the tray as you can, but make sure that they don’t touch each other. Put into the freezer for several hours or overnight. Then transfer to sealed containers, separating each layer with baking paper, return to the freezer until needed. These can be baked from frozen, add about 5 minutes more to the baking time.

To bake the cookies

Bake in preheated oven 170°C for 20 – 25 minutes or just until lightly coloured.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool on trays for 10 minutes, then roll in icing sugar while still warm and allow to cool completely.
Then roll the cookies again in more icing sugar. Then store in an airtight container.