Turkish cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Un Kurabiyesi (Flour Shortbread Cookies)

Crumbly white flour cookies made with butter and powdered sugar that melt on the tongue at first bite.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 250 g butter
• 400 g flour
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 60 g cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Beat the soft butter with 100 g powdered sugar, the vanilla and the salt for 4–5 min. until pale and fluffy; preheat the oven to 170 °C top/bottom heat and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the flour, cornstarch and baking powder, fold in in two batches and knead only until a soft, slightly crumbly dough forms – kneading too long makes the cookies hard.
3. Shape walnut-sized balls from the dough, press lightly flat and place on the sheet 3 cm apart; if you like, press a fine pattern in with a fork.
4. Bake on the middle rack for 15–18 min. – the cookies must stay snow-white on top and only turn faintly pale yellow on the bottom.
5. Let the cookies firm up on the sheet for 10 min., as they are still very fragile while hot, and only then lift onto a rack.
6. Once fully cooled, dust thickly with the remaining powdered sugar and serve with tea; stored airtight, they keep for two weeks.