Greek Kurabie Butter Cookies with Roasted Almonds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Toast the chopped almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until they are fragrant and lightly golden, then set them aside to cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar on high speed for about 10 minutes. The mixture must become incredibly light, fluffy, and pale white in color, which creates the signature melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Add the egg yolk, brandy, and vanilla extract to the whipped butter mixture. Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes until fully incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift the all-purpose flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed, mixing just until a soft dough forms, then gently fold in the cooled roasted almonds.

Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them into smooth balls or shape them into traditional crescents. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes until they are set and the bottoms are very lightly golden, ensuring the tops remain pale. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they do not break when handled.

Lightly mist the warm cookies with rosewater, then generously sift a thick layer of powdered sugar over them while they are still warm. Transfer the coated cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, and dust with one final layer of powdered sugar before serving.