Kourambiethes (as promised)

We all have our favorite childhood memories. A great many of mine revolve around food (travel too, but that might have to be a subject for another blog). Kourambiethes and my beloved Greek grandmother are among my earliest memories. Traditionally, Greek grandmothers are called "YaYa" but mine was "Nana." That loving title was bestowed on her by her first grandchildren, whose mother, my Aunt Mona, came over from Wales as a war bride after World War II. She was always Nana to me, and no child could have wished for a better grandmother. Or a better baker. She divined early on that her little granddaughter simply adored the Greek shortbread, and made sure that when I visited her big clapboard house in Englewood, New Jersey, a large supply of the pastries were readily available to someone of my short stature. The door would open and I'd take off for the pastry cupboard as fast as my fat little legs would carry me.

I never outgrew my love for these pastries so, naturally, when I was old enough to start cooking, I learned to make them. Mom used to just throw in a little of this and a little of that, but *I* have a recipe:

1 lb. unsalted butter (yes, a whole pound)
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 oz. brandy, whisky or ouzo
3 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Whole cloves (for garnish -- optional)
1 lb. box confectioners sugar for topping

Allow butter to soften to room temperature. Beat with electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar, egg yolk, orange juice and liquor, beating all the while until thick as mayonnaise. Add flour and cornstarch and mix. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes until smooth (no cracks in the dough from unmixed flour -- those will come back to haunt you). The consistency of the dough should remind you of PlayDoh. Roll dough into a round log and cut diagonally into 1/2" thick slices about 2" x 1", or make into round balls, or whatever shape you like, really. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1/2" apart. If you want to, stick a whole clove in the center of each one. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

In the meantime, sift 1 cup confectioners sugar on a clean shallow pan or cookie sheet and cover the bottom thickly. Using a spatula, transfer hot cookies onto the sugar gently and side-by-side, as soon as you remove them from the oven. Sift the remaining sugar on top and sides of the cookies. Cool for a few hours, if you can keep people away from them. They can be made ahead of time, because they taste great the next day and the day after that . . . if they last that long!