A well-made kourabies crumbles in the mouth and is crisp and light. It does not stick to the palate nor is it gummy. It needs care for the details and baking.
They should be baked until they are golden so as to be crunchy. Mrs. Aravani insists on chopping the almonds with a knife so they are all the same size.
Ingredients
- ½ kg clarified butter
- ½ kg almonds chopped and seared
- ½ cup icing sugar
- a wine glass of lye (alisiva)*
- a liqueur glass of brandy
- 1 yolk
- 1 kg flour (approx.)
- 2 doses vanilla
- icing sugar for dusting
Preparation
Whip the butter (in the blender, fortunately) with the icing sugar until white. Add the yolk and continue beating. Add the lye, brandy, vanilla and two handfuls flour. Beat a little longer and then mix, adding flour. Add the almonds before the flour is used up.
Be careful not to use too much flour in the dough. When they can be shaped it is enough. Shape them in half-moons or round and put them in rows in a baking pan lined with greaseproof paper, not touching because they will swell a little. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C until they are pale gold on the underside too. When cool, dust them with icing sugar until well covered. When cold, put them on a platter.
*Alisiva (lye): Water made alkaline by lixiviation of wood ash, brought to boil once or twice and carefully strained to keep the ash residue out.
From the book ''The cookery of Lefkada'', Evi Voutsina, Fagottobooks editions
