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I love eating these. Never made them.

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In Greece two of the most popular desserts that are made during the holiday season are kourabiedes and melomakarona. Kourabiedes are known outside of Greece as a cookie, but they are almost too substantial to be called a cookie. They are a shortbread type of sweet, made of flour, sugar, butter and almonds and covered with powdered sugar, which make them look like a snowball. When you eat them, the literally melt in your mouth along with all that powdered sugar.

Nutritionally, what you see is what you get: sugar, flour and butter. On the other hand you don't eat a handful of these like you would cookies, but rather just one as a dessert. Greeks typically make a big batch of these sweets and they last through the whole holiday season, so there is no pressure to eat all of them in a week! I remember my grandma used to hide them (I think she actually locked them) in a cabinet in her dining room for weeks and would only serve them when guests visited.

In the past, for Greeks, sweets, particularly those made with butter were a luxury item (butter and sugar was expensive) and were not to be eaten everyday. But my grandma's practice of hiding them is also a great strategy to avoid overeating all these holiday treats. The rule "out of sight-out of mind" really applies here: what you don't see, you don't eat. Studies have actually showed that we eat more when the food is in front of us than when it is hiding in a cabinet. When you're done making these, leave them on a nice platter for a few days, but after that store them in containers; they will last longer and you won't be tempted all the time.

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Photo Credit: DCGreekChurch for flickr

Elena Paravantes, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Writer and consultant specializing in the Mediterranean Diet and Cuisine. She has been active as a clinician, consultant and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece.

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Kourabiedes: Greek Christmas Butter Cookies - Olive Tomato

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In Greece two of the most popular desserts that are made during the holiday season are kourabiedes and melomakarona. Kourabiedes are known outside of Greece as a cookie, but they are almost too substantial to be called a cookie.

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This is technically candy... but so good.

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Today I'm going to introduce you to a very simple 2-ingredients and 3 minute cooking honeycomb toffee cookie (3 ingredients if you include the optional nuts) called dalgona in Korean. If you're in the mood for something sweet this is something you can whip up quickly. In the video I make mine over a campfire, but it's actually easier to make this at home over the stove where you can easily control the heat. The trick to this candy is not to cook it too fast, or the cookie will be bitter. You need a bit of patience to go a little slowly.

Years ago I showed you how to make a similar candy called ppopgi. The only real difference between the 2 is that ppopgi is pressed down and a shape is imprinted into the candy, and there is no nuts. Ppopgi actually means "break it up" because kids are supposed to play a game and try to break off the edges of the cookie without breaking the imprinted shape in the middle (as seen in the Netflix show Squid Game). If they succeed, the ppopgi vendor will give them a free ppopgi!

The recipe is simple but be sure to follow the exact ratio for success, and have patience when cooking.

Have fun and enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients

Makes 1 cookie

2 tablespoons white sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

7 to 8 nuts (almonds, cashew, pistachios, or peanuts), optional

Directions

1. If you use nuts, place several on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, in a circle about 2 inches diameter

2. Put the sugar in a stainless steel ladle (or small pan) over low heat. When the sugar starts melting, stir it with a long-handled stainless or wooden spoon so it melts evenly and doesn't burn. Control the heat by lifting the ladle far from the heat or bringing it closer, as needed.

3. Stir the melting sugar until it turns into a smooth, clear liquid with no lumps.

4. Add baking soda and continue stirring. It will expand and change from light brown to creamy golden beige and then it will expand three times in size.

5. Quickly drop the hot candy on top of the nuts. Let it cool down for about 10 minutes.

6. Serve right away.

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Today I'm going to introduce you to a very simple 2-ingredients and 3 minute cooking honeycomb toffee cookie (3 ingredients if you include the optional nuts) called dalgona in Korean. If you're in the mood for something sweet this is something you can whip up quickly. In the video I make mine...

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This is super fancy for me, but they're a crowd-pleaser!

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This is my great-grandmother's recipe. I have also heard the same ones (or close variations) called Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Teacakes, or Thumbprint Cookies.

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Definitely feel fancy without being difficult--always best this time of year!

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I'm obsessed with this Japanese cooking Twitter account and its short and simple cooking tutorials, and I love the idea of these rainbow cookies!