We all love sweet treats during the Christmas Period. I usually crave sweet treats all day during my Vacation. These Vegan Greek Cookies for Christmas made with almonds, vegan butter, orange zest, and brandy. It’s a light and crunchy Christmas treat that’s just as delicious and easy to make.
Today we talk about Greek Cookies | Kourabiedes!
In Greece, before Christmas time, locals are famous for enjoying cooking Traditional sweets. Kourabiedes, Melomakarona, and Diples.Â
From the start of the winter season, which begins in December Greeks start making these Traditional sweets and the house smell like early Christmas!
Have you ever tried them? They are buttery Christmas cookies. In Greece, we sprinkle them with rose water and we cover them with iced sugar. In Kalamata (Greece) they prepare these cookies through the year. You can find them in big variations and shapes.
The sweet root can be found in Persia, from where the sweetness traveled all over the East, the Balkans and, of course, our country. Of course, like any famous sweet who respects himself, other countries, especially Lebanon, are also pardoning for his paternity, while we are in “Turkey”, Albania, but also in Hispanic countries under the name Polvoron.
Kurabiye in Turkish means biscuit, buttermilk or “fluffy” Greek translation of Kourampies.
The most likely version of the “arrival” of Kourabie in Greece, as well as many other recipes, is to arrive in the country with the luggage of the refugees from Asia Minor and more specifically from Smyrni.
Butter
Butter quality plays a big role in the success of Kourampiedes. Choose the best quality for the best results!Â
If you are just Vegetarian use butter but today’s recipe is for all the Vegans! You can use any good quality of Vegan Butter. I used margarine with coconut and almond. It’s a new product in Greece and I decided to try it. The taste is not exactly like the original buttery Kourampie, because of the Vegan Butter. But equally delicious!Â
How to make Christmas Greek Cookies – Step by Step
Preheat the oven and bake the almonds at 356 Fahrenheit, until they roast. Let them cook and break them by pressing them with a roller between two sheets. Put them aside. (Photo 1 – 2 – 3 clockwise)
Put the butter in a mixer and mix for 10 minutes until it becomes fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 15 minutes more. The more, the better! (Photo 4)
Then lower down the speed (to low speed) and gradually pout the flour, the vanilla, the zest, the brandy and beat for 2-3 minutes more. Put the mix in a big bowl and add the almonds. Mix until all combined (Photo 5 – 6)
Make the Greek Cookies into small balls with your fingers and lightly press on the top. Place a sheet in a big pan and add the cookies. Bake them in a preheated oven at 170 for 20-30 minutes until golden. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. Sprinkle them with rose water. (Photo 7)
Transfer the first layer of the cookies in a platter and sprinkle them with iced sugar. Put the second layer and cover them with iced sugar. (Photo 8)
YOU WILL LOVE THESE VEGAN Greek cookies for Christmas
They are:
- Rich
- Easy and fun
Keep them stored in a cool place where they will last for up to two months, and enjoy whenever you need a delicious treat!
Cook’s tips for the Christmas Cookies
- The quality of the butter plays a big role in the fluffiness of the cookies. Choose the best one.
- Do not bake the cookies in high temperature.
- You can store up to 2 months in a cool temperature.
- If you do not have a mixture you can mix the butter with a whisk and shape them after with your hands.
- You can make any shapes you wish. I just shape them into mini balls and pressed my figure slightly on the top. This will prevent the Kourabiedes from the breaking.
More Greek Recipes You Might Like:
- Vegan Spanakopita (Spinach pie)
- Gigante Beans Recipe (Baked Giant Beans)
- Greek Pita Bread
- Greek Lagana Bread with star anise
- Vegan Christmas Cookies
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you
Vegan Kourabiedes | Greek Cookies for Christmas
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Vegan
- 1.5 cup almonds unsalted and without skin
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup powdered coconut sugar
- 4 Tbsp brandy
- iced sugar
- little rose water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and Bake the almonds at 338 Fahrenheit until they roast. let them cool and break them by pressing them with a roller between two sheets. Put them aside.Â
- Put the butter in a mixer and mix for 10 minutes until it becomes fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 15 minutes more. The more, the better! Then lower down the speed (to low speed) and gradually pour the flour, the vanilla, the zest, the brandy and beat for 2-3 minutes more.
- Put the mix in a big bowl and add the almonds. Mix until all combined.
- Make small balls with your finger and lightly press on the top. Put a sheet in a big pan and put the kourabiedes. Bake them in a preheated oven at 338 Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes until golden.Â
- Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. Sprinkle them with rose water.
- Transfer the first layer of the cookies in a platter and sprinkle them with iced sugar
- Put the second layer and cover them with iced sugar.
- Enjoy them!!!
Notes
- The quality of the butter plays a big role in the fluffiness of the cookies. Choose the best one.Â
- Do not bake the cookies in high temperature.
- You can store up to 2 months in a cool temperature.
- If you do not have a mixture you can mix the butter with a whisk and shape them after with your hands.
- You can make any shapes you wish. I just shape them into mini balls and pressed my figure slightly on the top. This will prevent the Kourabiedes from the breaking.
Nutrition
Are you planning to make this Recipe? I LOVE to see your creations. Please take a photo and tag @MANINIOPK on Instagram with the hashtag #MANINIOPK.
Thx for the Vegan Kourabiedes recipe. I liked the additional flavor of the orange zest and brandy! IThe dough turned out to be very dry, so I added at least 4-5 tablespoons of non-dairy milk just so that it would form a dough. Even still, I had a hard time forming them into balls without it crumbling. It did however stick together in the oven and turned out quite good, albeit a little dry. I would probably add a little olive oil with the extra milk next time around.