Ingredients:

• 5 cups or 450g Plain Flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup of Mazola oil or 250g unsalted butter
• 1/2 a cup100g caster sugar
• 1 cup of toasted almonds roughly crushed
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 4 tbsp brandy
• Rose water
• 2-3 cups of icing sugar (for coating)

Method:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together (about 45 minutes) the oil or butter until light and fluffy.
• Add the caster sugar and egg yolks one at a time mixing well between each addition.
• Add in the baking soda (diluted in the brandy), brandy crushed almonds and keep on mixing.
• In another mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and the vanilla.
• Add mixed flour to the butter mixture a little bit at a time mixing well.
• Knead it lightly in the bowl until smooth.
• All the above steps can be done with a mixer, if one available.
• Roll walnut-sized pieces into a ball and then flatten between your palms and place them well apart on the baking pans.
• You can make Kourabiethes any size and any shape you wish (round and long, moon shape, flat and round, etc).
• Bake in a preheated oven to 350F, 180C, Gas Mark 4 for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Sift a quarter of the icing sugar onto a large platter.
• Once cooked, remove the Kourabiethes from the oven and immediately place them on the icing sugar in the platter.
• Sprinkle them with rose water and sift plenty of icing sugar over the top of them until they are completely covered.
• Once the first row is cold, place a second row of Kourabiethes on top of the first ones and perform the previous step.
• The above recipe can be done with or without the toasted almonds if you prefer.
• Kourabiethes (Brandy Sugar Biscuits) traditionally are only done around Christmas time but they can also be done at any time you wish.
• You have to be careful when they are eaten because they have a nick name called “Shockers” because of the icing sugar.