Greek Honey Cookies - Fenikia
Serving Size : 72

1 c Peanut Oil
1 c butter
1/3 c water
1 jigger brandy, cognac
2 eggs -- beaten
3 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cloves
1 c walnuts -- chopped
1/2 c sugar
dash cinnamon and cloves
Syrup:
2 c sugar
1 c water
1 lb honey
lemon slices
chopped walnuts -- for garnish

syrup (combine sugar, water, honey and lemon slices, bring to a boil for five minutes) Heat oil and butter over low heat until butter is melted and misture is hot. Remove from
heat and stir in water and brandy. Cool. Stir in beaten eggs. Sift together flour and baking powder with he tablespoon each cinnamon and clove and stir into mixture to make a dough that is not too soft. Add a little more flour if necessary. With floured hands shaped dough into ovals and indent lengthwise with thumbs. Combine chopped walnuts with sugar and dash each cinnamon clove. Put 1 tsp of this filling into the indentation in the dough and close dough over filling. Place on cooky sheets and bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Dip cooled cookies into hot syrup and place on racks to drain. Decorate with chopped walnuts.

Kourambiethes

1/2 c blanched almonds or pecans, toasted and -- coarsely chopped
1 lb unsalted butter
1 lb + 3 tbsps powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 jiger cognac
1 tsp vanilla
3 c cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Step one: Beating the butter- Melt the butter and place in refrigerator to cool until soft but not entirely solid. Add 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and beat at high speed for 45 minutes. Butter should be very, very pale, almost white.

Step two: Add wet ingredients Continue to beat, adding in egg yolks, cognac and vanilla.

Step three: Add dry ingredients, Remove bowl from stand mixer and stir in nuts, cake flour and baking powder. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, continue adding flour a few tablespoons at a time.

Step four: Shape and bake. Shape about a tablespoon of dough into a ball or crescent, place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Cookies should not get more than a scant color.

Step five: Sugar- Remove cookies from pan to cooling rack. Sift powdered sugar over the cookies. After cookies cool, roll each one in powdered sugar. Repeat the rolling in sugar procedure a second time. Place each cookie in a muffin cup for serving.

These cookies keep extremely well when stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool spot. If you store them, refresh with a bit of sifted powdered sugar.

NOTES : honorable mention in 1996 Chicago Tribune Christmas Cookie Contest, judged by none other than Julia Child!

Paximadia: Greek walnut cookie slices

1 c Oil
1 1/2 c Sugar
3 Eggs
4 c Flour
2 1/2 ts Baking powder
1 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Allspice
1/2 c Walnuts or almonds chopped
1 t Anise ( optional )

These are very similar to biscotti but are not necessarily twice baked. I make this at Christmas time for my Greek friends. Beat oil and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine remaining ingrdients and mix into creamed mixture with wooden spoon. Form dough into 4 oval loaves on baking sheet.Score into 1/2 inch slices.
Bake 325 for 25 minutes or done. Slice completly through while warm and cool completely. These freeze well. If you want a harder cookie you can return just baked cookie to oven, reducing heat 200 and bake 20 minutes longer.

Ana