Crumbly melted-butter shortbread creamed with sugar, shaped and baked pale gold: a holiday tea cookie.
Kurambiy (Butter Shortbread)
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C.
- Cream the melted butter with the sugar until pale.
- Work in the yolk, salt and flour to a soft, crumbly dough.
- Pipe or shape into rosettes or cones on a lined tray.
- Press a small dip in each (add a dot of jam if you like).
- Bake 12–15 minutes until just pale gold; cool before lifting.
Don't brown them: kurambiy should stay pale and sandy, not golden-crisp.
This is the recipe from the Recipes section of the Circassian app, where you can also scale it and save it to your favourites.
Kitchen words in Circassian
The words for what is in this dish, in Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian), with audio from the Circassian app’s lessons and audio course.
| English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| butter | тхъуцынэtkhwutsyne | тхъуtkhu |
| salt | шыгъуshyghu | щыгъуshchəghu |
| food | шхынshkhyn | шхыныshkhənə |
| delicious | IэфI'ef' | IэшIу'eshIu |
| This is delicious! | Мыр IэфIщ!Myr 'ef'shch! | Мыр IэшIу!Myr 'esh'u! |
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Kurambiy: questions
How long does it take to make Kurambiy?
About 40 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Kurambiy recipe serve?
It serves 8. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Kurambiy made of?
The ingredients are: 200 g butter, melted; 1 cup sugar (or powdered sugar); 3 cups flour; 1 egg yolk; pinch of salt; A little jam for the centres (optional).
Is Kurambiy an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as a festive dish (Sweets & Drinks).
Where does this Kurambiy recipe come from?
From the Recipes section of the Circassian app. The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
Sources
- Circassian app, Recipes section, recipe “Kurambiy (Butter Shortbread)” (recipe data last changed July 2026). The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
- Circassian app: audio course, Kabardian and Adyghe (the kitchen words: cheese, meat, milk, bread, tea, water, food, delicious), and the lessons’ vocabulary (chicken, salt, butter, honey).
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