🇨🇾 Cypriot Cuisine

Κουραμπιέδες

Cypriot Almond Butter Cookies

Prep Time 30 min

Servings 24

Difficulty Easy

Calories 183 kcal

Crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies studded with almonds, drenched in powdered sugar and perfumed with rose water — a staple of Cypriot celebrations.

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus extra for coating)
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp rose water
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped
Whole almonds for decoration

Instructions

1 Beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
2 Add egg yolk and rose water. Beat to combine.
3 Gradually fold in flour and baking powder. Stir in chopped almonds.
4 Shape dough into small crescents or rounds. Press a whole almond into each.
5 Bake at 160°C for 18-20 minutes until just set but not browned.
6 While still warm, sift powdered sugar generously over the cookies. Repeat once cooled.

Did You Know?

The Cypriot version uses rose water instead of brandy, giving these cookies a delicate floral note unique to the island.