Our Harvest Kitchen Food Service Manager, Chef Sean Kontos, loves sharing some of his recipes for the home cook.
“There were many Greek Christmas traditions we celebrated growing up, but one of my favorites was my YiaYia‘s kourabiedes. These cookies are so buttery and sugary without being too decadent somehow. And they’re so easy to throw together — perfect if you need to bring some sweets to a holiday party. Whenever I smell these cookies baking, fond memories always come back to me, and that’s the best part of the holidays! I’ll also be making some at the Harvest Kitchen café, so stop by and try some!”
Try This from Chef Sean!
Kourabiedes
Ingredients
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. walnuts — finely chopped
2 Tbsp. whisky, or amaretto for a slightly different flavor
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1/2 c. confectioners sugar (plus more for later!)
Instructions
- Cream the butter with 1/2 c. confectioners sugar.
- Add egg yolks, whiskey, and orange juice until the mixture is smooth, and then add the walnuts until incorporated.
- Add the flour and baking powder until the dough is formed.
- Pinch off small balls of dough, about the diameter of a quarter, and form them into crescent shapes.
- Place the cookies on an un-greased baking sheet one inch apart and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until very lightly browned.
- Once mostly cooled, place confectioners sugar in a bowl and dredge the cookies in the sugar. Then place them on a sheet with parchment or wax paper, and let cool further.
About Chef Sean Kontos
Sean is a native of Dover, NH, who has been working in the food service industry for 13 years. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in culinary arts in 2011, he went on to cook around Nantucket and the seacoast of New Hampshire, focusing on local and sustainable cooking particularly tied to whole animal butchery. After backpacking through Europe, he and his now wife moved to Providence where he worked at Local 121, eventually becoming head chef. Most recently, he helped open Farm & Coast Market in South Dartmouth, MA, as a butcher and chef. Sean started out as a volunteer with our RI Farm to School program until moving on to work with Harvest Kitchen. Today he is an important part of our team, playing a major role in our local foods café, crafting our seasonal menu, and bringing skill and expertise to our operations.
Image at top © Copyright Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons
