Kourabiedes (Greece): Walnut Sugar Cookies

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These cookies are amazing ! Such a crowd pleaser for me !
But I switched the Brandy with a tablespoon of Vanilla and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I didnt have any orange water so I put apple juice watered down on top before I dipped them in sugar.

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I absolutely love these cookies. I just made my fourth batch of the season. I almost always make double the recipe since they go so quickly. These are great also made with almonds or half almonds and half walnuts. I usually add almond extract to the dough, which I love, and either cut down on, or eliminate the vanilla. These are probably my favorite cookie, and I've receiving nothing but rave reviews on them. I love the scent of the orange flower water, but if you don't have it, don't worry, they will come out just fine.

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These are great cookies. After some research on the web, I did find that traditionally Kourabiedes are made with almonds, so I went with that although I am sure they'd be great with walnuts as well. I also added just a scant 1/4 tsp. of pure almond extract which I highly recommend (along with the vanilla and 1/2 cup more sugar for sweetness after reading some of the reviews. I did have orange water on hand but I honestly don't think it added anything special to these cookies, so if you don't use it they'll still be great. I did find the dough a bit crumbly, but when compressed with the warmth of your hand they hold together and roll fine. I used a heaping 1-inch cookie scoop for portion size and for a double batch came out with 52. They baked beautifully in 15 minutes. For the last step I filled a small bowl with powdered sugar to coat the cookies. I coated them once when they came out of the oven, let them cool and coated them one more time before putting them in the cookie tin. They're buttery, nutty and just delicious and go great with a cup of espresso! They're easy to make and a great addition to anyone's cookie collection. I thinking next time of putting an Italian twist on these and making them with hazelnuts and Frangelico.

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Awesome cookies....however I substituted orange juice for the brandy and omitted the orange flower water.

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Just tried these cookies and found them to be really delicious, however, I will be adding a little more sugar to the recipe. Thought they needed just a bit more sweetness.

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Fantastic !!!

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I've made these every year since Food Network sent me the recipe during the 12 Days of Cookies. I always make an extra batch for a good friend who is Greek. She loves them too and tells me that she saves the majority of the batch to take with her to snack on during the long plane trip home to Greece for Christmas. It's quickly becoming a case of Christmas not being the same without them, so I have to make them, but the recipe is so easy and satisfying, I have no problem doing that. The cookies themselves are kind of like shortbread, in that they're buttery, and sort of like a pecan sandie, in the overall texture. These are far better than other similar cookies I've tried over the years.

Being from Florida, I substitute rum for the brandy because it's something I have on hand, and pecans for the walnuts because I can get them local. I also don't use the orange flower water because I've not been able to find it in stores (maybe I'm just not looking in the right places?, but rather I put a little orange extract in water and sort of fling it with my fingers. *shrugs* It works and the cookies are to die for delicous.

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To the reader who didn't try the recipe, but rated it a one star. I guess you really have no idea how to read a recipe or have never heard of orange flower water. How can you possibly rate a recipe without trying it????? Try looking up a definition of orange flower water on the internet.

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She used Pecans cause that's what she had growing in her yard in Alabama.
Didn't even know there was a traditional "nut", but pecans are delish!

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The cookies were really good other than I thought the orange flower water gave a weird taste and I happen to be a fan of orange flower water--but not on this cookie.
I used a spray bottle that misted them perfectly.
I think they taste best to focus on the butter/ brandy flavor notes, than to add the flower water.