Sift flour and corn starch together and add to butter mixture while mixer is running. Continue mixing or kneading on low speed. Add ground almonds last.
Pinch off small pieces of dough and shape into crescents. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1/2 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Sift one cup confectioners sugar onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Place the hot cookies onto the sugar and dust the top with more sifted sugar. Makes 3 dozen to 4 dozen cookies.
Myth's Notes
I got this recipe out of "Greek Crescent Cookies are Flaky, not too Sweet," the Baltimore Sun (p. 5F), Wednesday, April 20, 2005. According to author Julie Rothman, this is a traditional Greek cookie known as kourabiethes, which are popular for celebrations including Greek Orthodox Easter, Christmas, and weddings. This recipe was brought to this country in the 1920s by Laura Braly's grandmother. I haven't tried to make it, but supposedly, "This recipe makes an outstanding cookie that is flaky and not too sweet....The dough is easy to work with, but the cookies are rather fragile once baked, so handle gently."
It would be interesting if there was another recipe version of this cookie made with wine instead of ouzo, and used some honey in it as well.