Baku Kurabiye – Soviet recipe for Arabic shortbread cookies

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Made of a delicate, aromatic shortbread and a drop of fruity jam, Baku-style Arabic cookies Kurabiye are probably loved by every child in the former Soviet Union. They taste very crumbly, fluffy and heavenly delicious. In the shape of small flowers, the shortbread cookies with jam are an eye-catcher on the dining table. In addition, you can make them easily and quickly from a few common ingredients. You can find a detailed recipe for the Kurabiye cookies with exact quantities and step-by-step instructions here at the very bottom.

What is Kurabiye?

Kurabiye are popular Arabic shortbread cookies that are common in many countries. Depending on the country, the recipe for the cookie and its shape differs. However, the basic recipe for the shortbread always remains the same. For this, soft butter is first whipped with sugar or powdered sugar and any spices, for example vanilla, cinnamon or cardamom. Then, depending on the recipe, eggs or only egg whites may be added to the butter mixture. And flour is added at the end. Spices are very important in this process and make the cookies Kurabiye. In some countries the shortbread cookies contain nuts, lemon, honey or chocolate.

As for the appearance of the shortbread cookies, the pastry comes in many different shapes. For example, the cookies Kurbaiye in Russia have the shape of a flower with jam in the middle. In Greece, the cookies, which are part of the national pastry there and are baked at Christmas, are made in the shape of small balls, dusted generously with powdered sugar and stacked on top of each other in the shape of hills. There are also Kurabiye in the form of double cookies with jam filling or in the shape of diamonds.

Baku Kurabiye or cookies Chamomile

The cookies Kurabiye, which were still very popular in the former Soviet Union, are called Baku Kurabiye. And since they look like a flower, they are sometimes called cookies Chamomile. To place the cookies in such a flower shape, you will need a piping bag with a closed star-shaped nozzle. You fill the creamy dough into the piping bag and use the star nozzle to place small “flowers” of the dough on the baking tray. Then make a small hollow in the center of each cookie with your finger and fill it with a drop of jam, so that each cookie looks even more like a real flower. Use a piping bag with a round hole nozzle to pipe the jam onto the cookies.

The shortbread does it

What makes the Kurabiye cookies so special is the shortbread they are made of. It tastes very tender and crispy at the same time – simply delicious. Thanks to vanilla or other spices, it is incredibly aromatic. Just like the dough for Suvorov cookies, this shortbread does not require baking powder. Its fluffiness is achieved by thoroughly beating the ingredients. In addition, only egg white is used for the dough instead of eggs. And because this dough tastes so delicious, it is also perfect for another kind of pastry. Simply form any cookies from it and enjoy their unique taste after baking.

Shortbread cookies with jam

What makes the Baku Kurabiye cookies special is not only their flower shape, but also a drop of jam in the center of each cookie. The jam makes the cookies look even prettier and gives them a slightly fruity touch. Use a solid jam for the recipe, not a liquid one, so it doesn’t run out of the cookies. And if you use homemade jam for it, your Kurabiye will definitely taste even more delicious.

These cookies are

• crispy tender,
• fluffy,
• crumbly,
• very tasty,
• aromatic,
• pretty – in the form of flowers,
• with jam,
• easy and quick to make from a few common ingredients,
• to changed at will, as far as spices are concerned,
• ideal for coffee, tea or snacking between meals,
• perfect as Christmas cookies,
• without additives unlike many cookies from the supermarket,
• beautiful homemade gift from the kitchen,
• favorite cookies of many former Soviet children.

The recipe for Kurabiye cookies

The exact quantities and step-by-step instructions, according to which you can make the cookies Kurabiye yourself, you can find here below in the box recipe.

The recipe is very easy. All you need is soft butter, powdered sugar, egg whites, flour and vanilla. You will also need solid jam to fill the cookies.

How to make shortbread cookies Kurabiye: this is how it works

1. Beat soft butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add egg whites and beat until fluffy and creamy. Stir in flour to make a creamy, spreadable batter.
2. Pipe batter into piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and place small cookies on a baking sheet. Make a small hollow in the center of each cookie and fill it with a drop of jam.
3. Bake the cookies at 200 °C for about 15 minutes. Done!

How to make Arabic cookies Kurabiye: tips and tricks

• Be sure to thoroughly whip the butter mixture first with powdered sugar and then with egg whites until you have a fluffy creamy mixture, so that your cookies taste tender and crumbly after baking.
• As vanilla for the dough you can take for example vanilla sugar, vanilla powder, vanilla extract or vanilla bean scraped out.
• The right consistency of the short dough for the cookies Kurabiye is very important. In order for the dough to have the right consistency, add flour in batches. The amount of flour specified in the recipe may vary. The dough must be creamy and spreadable, not runny and not solid. You should be able to pipe small cookies from it using a piping bag. If your dough is runny, your cookies might melt while baking. If it’s too chewy, it will be difficult to pipe cookies.
• Be sure not to stir the shortbread dough too long, but rather briefly and briskly after you add flour. If you stir the dough too long, your cookies might end up tasting dry. You should mix it with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, not your hands, so the butter in the dough doesn’t melt from the heat of your hands.
• To pipe the cookies out of the dough, you’ll need a piping bag with a closed star-shaped nozzle.
• Use solid jam, not liquid, to fill the cookies.
• To fill the cookies with jam, you will need a piping bag with a round hole nozzle.
• Do not bake the Kurabiye cookies longer than necessary. Otherwise they may taste dry instead of crumbly. After baking, they should have a light yellow to golden color.
• You can shape the cookies any way you like, suitable for any occasion. For example, for Valentine’s Day, you can drop cookies in the shape of hearts from the dough using a piping bag.
• Store the shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for about two weeks.

Did you make the cookies Kurabiye according to this recipe? I look forward to your result, your star rating and your comment here below, how you have succeeded and tasted the cookies with jam.

Not enough of delicious cookies? Try too:

• Orange cookies: quick recipe for world’s best tender cookies
• Apricot kisses – recipe for yeast shortbread cookies with fresh apricots