Kourabiedes

Here are Greek Christmas cookies yule love - and so will the rest of the family.

Ingredients:
9 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
2/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 egg yolk
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
2.5 oz slivered almonds, toasted, finely chopped
Whole cloves (about 20)
Icing sugar, extra, to dust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Use an electric beater to beat the butter in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and egg yolk. Beat until well combined.Fold in the flours until just combined. Stir in the almonds.Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Roll the balls into 3 inch lengths on a lightly floured surface. Form into crescent shapes.
Place on the tray. If desired, set half of the dough aside to make star-shaped biscuits. Press out until about 2cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 2 1/2 inch star cutter to cut out biscuits. Place on the tray.Insert a clove into the centre of each biscuit. Bake for 15-20 minutes or just until light golden. Transfer the warm biscuits to a wire rack over a baking tray. Dust with a little icing sugar. Set aside to cool completely. Dust generously with more icing sugar.