During my sophomore year of college, I took a semester-long course that changed my life. It was a writing class, geared to help us improve our expository writing skills while exploring a social issue in depth. We had dozens of topics to choose from – Environment and Ethics, Diversity and Racial Conflict, Immigrant America, etc. We had to choose our topic carefully, since this would be a subject that we’d be writing no less than 20 term papers about.
I chose a course called The Holocaust. Why? I can’t really explain; it was a gut feeling. I needed to learn more about this tragedy of unimaginable proportions. The class had a profound impact on me. I left the course with one resounding message written on my heart – never forget. Even today, there is unimaginable suffering and genocide happening in our world. It is our responsibility as humans to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to ensure that we do not allow it to happen again.
When we talk about the Holocaust, the last thing that comes to mind is cooking—in fact, it seems strange to associate cookbook recipes with such a tremendous tragedy. And yet, there are several incredible cookbooks and compilations of recipes written by Holocaust survivors. Recipes are a way of keeping family history alive—they’re a tangible reminder of family, home, comfort, and security. Entire families were lost in the concentration camps, leaving survivors to push forward alone in the world, clinging to only memories of their loved ones. One way to keep those memories alive is to recreate their recipes, to share them and in that way remember their spirit.
The Holocaust Survivor Cookbook strives to keep those memories alive. It’s a compilation of heartbreaking survivor stories that put faces and names to the victims of the Holocaust. It also includes several authentic recipes from survivors and their families. I discovered this book last year, and I treasure it.
In full disclosure—because this is, after all, a cooking blog—the Holocaust Survivor Cookbook isn’t the most reliable source for foolproof recipes. Because the book features personal family recipes, some are not written very clearly. Several of the recipes list ingredients that are missing in the instructions, leaving you to guess where and when you should add them. That said, I still recommend that you buy this book–not only for the food, but for the history. It is filled with true, personal stories of survival during one of the darkest periods in human history. In addition, there are some wonderful recipes that are worth the price of the book itself.
This recipe comes from the family of survivor Rena Gani Carasso. Here is an excerpt from her story:
Rena was born in Prevesa Greece in 1915. Prevesa was a small Jewish community a few hours from Athens. Her father Solomon was a prosperous textile merchant and her mother Simcha stayed home and raised their five children.
In 1943 the Germans invaded their town and arrested all of the Jews. The entire Gani family was sent to the Birkenau/Auschwitz concentration camp where the parents were immediately sent to the gas chambers.
Rena and her sister Ellie were sent to the women’s camp, while her three brothers went to the men’s camp. The three young men fought valiantly in an uprising at the men’s camp but were killed… Rena and Ellie survived the women’s camp, and were liberated by the Americans in 1945. They returned to Greece where nothing remained of their once happy family.
…Soon Rena moved to Athens where she met and married tall handsome Daniel Carasso, known to his friends as Nico. Since both Rena and Nico had lost most of their friends and relatives in the Holocaust their wedding was small, but still filled with the hope and promise of the future.
In 1951 Rena, Daniel, and their little daughter Jeanette came to America. Their family is honored on the Wall of Honor at Ellis Island. They later had another daughter Eileen and five beautiful grandchildren.
“Because Our Parents Survived” – Jeanette Kasten and Eileen Metzger and their families
This recipe for Rena Carasso’s Greek Butter Cookies, known as Kourabiedes, was submitted to the cookbook by her daughters Jeannette Katzen and Eileen Metzger. They are a delicious tribute to Rena and her family.
I have made one small modification to this recipe. The cookie dough did not have enough sweetness for me (and I’m not a big fan of sweet), so I went ahead and increased the powdered sugar in the dough to 1 cup. The original recipe calls for ½ cup of sugar in the dough (separate from the 2 cups of dusting sugar). You can add even more sugar to the dough for sweetness if you want, it will not change the dough’s texture.
To purchase your own copy of the Holocaust Survivor Cookbook, click here. Proceeds benefit the Carmei Ha’ir Soup Kitchen, which serves over 500 meals every day to the poor and hungry of Israel.
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Rena Carasso's Kourabiedes - Greek Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 pound chopped almonds
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-5 cups flour
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter slowly for 15 minutes. I used an electric mixer for this on a medium low speed setting.
- Slowly add the two egg yolks, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and a little of the flour.
- Continue to beat, slowly adding the chopped almonds and more flour, until a soft dough forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl periodically to make sure all ingredients are well mixed.
- You want the dough to be pliable and easy to form without being too greasy/buttery.
- Roll the dough into crescent or round shapes. I used a little less than 2 tbsp of dough per cookie.Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 15-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven till lightly golden. Remove cookies from the oven.
- Allow to cool, .then dust with the remaining 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar.According to Rena’s recipe, they need to be generously coated in the sugar, not just a little sprinkle. So don’t be shy with it—powder away!
Jeannette Carasso Katzen says
Thank you to all for all the kind words after you have tried the cookies and loved them. What an honor to my beloved mother Rena Gani Carasso that her Greek recipe for Kourabiedes is such a hit. May ALL your families continue to enjoy this special food of my heritage for years to come. Enjoy!!♥
Jill gregory says
Hi jeannette,
I am hoping you still read this and me and my daughter would be honored to receive your help. My daughter has chosen your mother Rena Gani Carasso to do her large report on for her project on remembering the Holocaust those that passed and survived. If there is any information or stories you could share with us so we can do this report on your mother justice could you please send the information to us. Any stories she had shared with you all. I know those are horrible memories but it will help these children understand exactly what your mom and many others went threw. I kow this is an odd request but i have been up for hours trying to find out as much about her and her life but am falling short. I just happened to land on this page and thought id give it a shot. Thank you so much.
Jill and Taylor gregory chicago IL
Gregory0313@sbcglobal.net
Josie says
What a beautiful way to make sure the memory of Holocaust survivors live on! I made these and they absolutely melt in your mouth!! So special. Will continue to make these again and again 🙂
Tanya S says
Thank you for posting this recipes . I really love your blog and your story about food . If any of your readers live in Bay Area temple Adat Israel will have this book signing by autor on monday Feb 6 at 7 pm , I belive you can pre order through the temple
Tori Avey says
Thank you for letting my readers know Tanya!
Mark Stubli says
I searched Barns and Noble and Books-a-Million and cannot find the Holocaust Survivor Cookbook, where would I buy a copy????
Tori Avey says
Mark– there is a link in the blog above the recipe, click it and it will take you to the page where you can buy a copy.
Barbara Young says
Thank you for this very moving tribute, Tori. I have suggested that the cookbook be sold by my synagogue as a fundraiser. If that doesn’t happen, I will be purchasing one anyway.
jeannette carasso katzen says
Hi Tori…I was skimming through the pictures and noticed you used a sifter to dust on the powdered sugar…SO funny! My mom just rolled those cookies in a bowl of powdered sugar, must have been a half inch thick on top! No wonder we were given strict instructions NOT to breathe in when we took a bite. AND yes, the cups my mom to which my mom referred were baking cups with powdered sugar sprinkled on the bottom before she placed the kourabiedes in them. Yummy!
Tori Avey says
Well rolling them would certainly be easier wouldn’t it?? I always use the sifter when I’m dusting to avoid those powdery chunks of sugar, but next time I’m going to make it easier on myself and roll them the way your mom did. As for not inhaling when you eat them, that is very wise advice! 😉
Connie Strassberg says
Dear Tori – Thank you so much for including a link to the site that sells the cookbook in your blog. Both my mother and father (both long deceased) were survivors of Auschwitz. They would have loved this cookbook – so I just purchased one in their memory.
I love your recipes (and so does my very unkosher family) and hope that you will be publishing your own cookbook soon. I’d love to be one of the first to buy it.
Hugs,
Connie
Tori Avey says
Connie, how remarkable that your parents are survivors! Do you have any family recipes you’d like to share? Let me know! You can email me through my “Contact page. xo
Jeannette CARASSO Katzen says
Omg!!! Who are you???!!! I loved it!!! Please respond privately and tell me who you are!!! Thanx
Tori Avey says
Jeanette I am THRILLED you found the blog! I was trying to figure out a way to contact you. I will email you. So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Angel Kania says
Do these taste like a Old fashion Lady Finger?
Tori Avey says
Hi Angel– they’re not like lady fingers, really… more like wedding cookies, if you’ve ever tried those. They’re delicious!
arlyn rapport (Hungarian family gas chamber also) says
how can we buy the cookbook is it published and cost and to be sent to please
Tori Avey says
Arlyn, I am so sorry to hear about your family connection to this tragedy. The cookbook can be purchased at the following website: http://survivorcookbook.org/. It costs $36 plus $3.99 shipping and handling.
Rockblock says
This kind of cookies we usually cover while they are warm. The sugar icing tends to stick better on them, as opposed to leaving them to cool down and then sprinkle with icing.
Tori Avey says
Great note Rockblock, that makes sense. I will try that next time!
Zante says
I agree with Rockblock. My recipe from my yiayia from Tripoli is different. It contains no eggs. Just 1 pound butter (melted or very soft), a little white sugar (2 T), 1 t vanilla, 5 cups flour. They are much more delicate and better than any of the kourabiedes I have found in Greek bakeries. For the powdered sugar (also called icing sugar), I sift a layer of sugar onto a cool cookie sheet and then lay a warm cookie on each one. The bottom layer of sugar melts to the cookie. Then I sift more powdered sugar over the warm cookies and then when they are cool I transfer them to a tray and sift them once more with powdered sugar. I DO NOT recommend rolling them in sugar. Mine are very delicate, and they would crumble if rolled. Yiayia Pitsa made the best kourabiedes I have ever eaten, and I am glad to have her recipe.
Zante says
I forgot to say add 2 T orange juice.
Helen says
Being of Greek heritage, this was of particular interest to me. Although not Jewish, my Mom has told me many times of the hardships in Greece during the war. The cultures are very close and have ties on many levels, food being one of them. Your recipe sounds very much like mine, and I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for your heartfelt story and for posting it. God bless you and your family. May you always have sweetness in your lives.
Barbara carras corbett says
Three cheers for the yummy Greek recipes and advice . Yassoo
My favorite recipe is Spanakopita. (Greek Spinach Pie) all our friends and families favorite.
Coco Galvez says
What a beautiful story, thank you for sharing it with us, I love this cookies thank you also for the recipe, I will make them this weekend for my kids and I will tell the story to them. <3
Summer Nicole says
I think that its awesome that you told the story to your kids it just educates them about what life used to be like
Jennifer says
I had no idea this cookbook existed. What a wonderful tribute to those we’ve lost. These cookies look delicious.
Anne Marie says
Thank you for sharing this story-I have had a wonderful version of this cookie at a local Greek Deli-I think what Rena’s instructions meant as a baking cup-were individual pastel type cupcake liners?? At least that’s how I see them, and buy them at the Greek Deli. Anyways, point is “Never Forget” as we have to look back and remember the past to escape these atrocities in the future. God Bless….
Tori Avey says
Amalia and Anne Marie, thanks for clarifying what it means to serve the cookies in “cups!” That would be the perfect way to serve them, as it would contain any extra powdered sugar that falls off. 🙂
Amalia says
Thank you very much for sharing this story. I remember my Greek relatives putting the individual cookies in little paper cups (like cupcake papers) when they were served. Maybe that’s what is meant by individual baking cups.
Dana Minton says
I am always humbled when I read these stories, the recipe was a lovely addition as well.
Sue K says
What a wonderful tribute to innocent lives. Thank goodness the book was compiled. How fortunate for us these recipes were not lost forever.
Summer Nicole says
I agree completely
Alice K. says
Beautiful posting. Thank you for your sensitivity in honoring and remembering.
Joanne Owens says
These are melt-in-your-mouth crazy good.