Greek Xmas almond cookies "kourambiedes"

I know... I know... it's too early for Christmas but it seems that this year everyone wants to have them much much earlier. Like my friend Evi that did already "melomakarona" (greek honey biscuits also for Xmas) and sent me photos (thanks!)
Actually it's thanks to her that I realized that I miss this recipe from my blog and I have a very good one ;) 
That means also that I will work late at night to catch up with my work grrrrr :(
Let's concentrate now... "Kourambiedes" are almond biscuits covered with icy sugar and are typical Christmas cookies in Greece. The traditional shape looks like half-moon but I tend to use various Christmas shapes so everyone can choose his favorite form :)  I slow like that family from exterminating everything :))))


Ingredients
500gr butter (good quality and of cow milk)
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of icy sugar (+ 1 cup of icy sugar for the topping)
2 vanilla flavor
1 baking powder
2 egg whites
1/4 of cup of olive oil
1/5 of cup of tsipouro or ouzo or brandy
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of white roasted and grated almonds
1,5 Kg of all purpose flour

Procedure

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees of Celsius and fan as you will be baking 3-4 trays in total.
Mix in 2 separate bowls :
Mix 1=butter+oil+alcohol+eggs+sugars and
Mix 2=flour+baking+soda+vanilla (Do not put all of the flour from the beginning!)
Use the mixer for mix 1 and a spoon for mix 2. Once done, mix the 2 mixtures together with hands (very carefully and slowly) and add as much flour as needed to make a nice soft and silky dough. Do not work much the dough!

Time for play now :) Make the biscuits how ever you prefer (but about 2-3cm thick) and put them in trays for the oven (do not forget to put the special paper in the trays). Bake for about 10min or as much needed to get a light color (do not wait to get a golden color, it will be too late). If you use the oven fan, bake 2-3 trays in parallel and re-use the trays when done.

When biscuits are done, transfer them in a deeper tray and sprinkle with icy sugar on top while they are still hot in order to make the sugar stick on the them. If you have rose water, sprinkle first with this.
Share with your dearest people :)))