Kavala Kurabiyesi

Toast roughly half the flour (about 90-95 g) in a dry pan over medium heat only until it turns light beige and smells nutty - pull it off the heat before it darkens, since scorched flour tastes bitter. Skipping this step still gives you a cookie, but you lose the toasty depth that makes Kavala Kurabiyesi taste the way it should. Let the roasted flour cool before it meets the butter, otherwise the butter melts and the dough turns greasy instead of soft and moldable.

Hazelnuts or walnuts work in place of the 60 g coarsely chopped almonds and give a stronger, darker nut flavor. For the 50 g ground blanched almonds, stay with almonds if you can - they are mild and keep the dough pale and fine-textured, which is the character of this cookie. Whatever you use, roast the chopped nuts as the recipe directs so the aroma comes through.

This dough is meant to be soft and lightly moldable, so crumbliness usually means the butter was too cold or wasn't beaten creamy enough with the powdered sugar. Let the butter come properly to room temperature, beat it until light, and knead only briefly - long kneading develops the flour and makes the cookies tough rather than tender. If it still resists, warm it slightly between your hands for a moment; do not add liquid, as there is none in the recipe.

Yes - the dough already needs about 30 minutes chilled in plastic wrap, and you can leave it in the fridge considerably longer if that suits your schedule. Take it out and let it soften a little before you shape the log and cut the half-moons, otherwise firm dough will crack at the edges. You can also shape the cookies and keep the tray cold until the oven reaches 170 °C / 340 °F.

Dust only once the cookies are completely cooled - on warm cookies the powdered sugar melts and disappears into a damp glaze. Keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature; the high butter and almond content keeps them tender for days, while a humid spot or the fridge softens the crumb. Give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar just before serving if the first coat has been absorbed.