Kafkas Kavala Cookies with Almond & Butter - Turkish Almond Shortbread

Kavala cookies are one of Turkey's most beloved tea-time classics, and this tin from Kafkas - a Bursa confectioner founded in 1930 - brings the traditional recipe to your table. Each cookie is a round, crumbly almond shortbread baked with real butter and ground almonds, then dusted in a soft snow of powdered sugar. Bite into one and it melts the moment it hits your tongue, leaving a gentle, toasted-almond sweetness behind.

The name comes from the port city of Kavala, an Ottoman-era town whose almond shortbread tradition spread across Turkish Thrace and Edirne generations ago. That heritage is why you'll also see these called kurabiye, Turkish almond cookies, or simply almond shortbread - a recipe that has barely changed in a century because it never needed to.

What sets a true Kavala kurabiyesi apart is the balance: plenty of almond, plenty of real butter, and only as much sugar as the powdered coating provides. The result is rich but never heavy, the kind of cookie that disappears two at a time alongside a glass of Turkish tea or a strong cup of coffee. They make an easy gift, a quiet afternoon treat, or the sweet note at the end of a shared meal.

What you should know:

• Made with: wheat flour, real butter, ground almonds, egg yolk, sugar, and natural vanilla flavor
• Texture: short, crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread under a powdered-sugar dusting
• Allergens: contains almonds (tree nut), butter (milk/dairy), wheat flour (gluten), and egg. Made in a facility that also handles peanuts, other tree nuts, and sesame
• Net weight: approximately 200-250 g (please confirm the exact grams printed on your pack)
• Best enjoyed with: Turkish tea, coffee, or on its own
• Storage: keep in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight

This is food, not a supplement - a simple, honest cookie made the way Turkish bakers have made it for generations. Keep a tin on hand for whenever you fancy one.