Spread the almonds in a pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160°C, set to conventional hearing, for 8 minutes or until roasted. Leave to cool down to room temperature, and grind them to thick pieces with the mortar and pestle, or by crushing them with the rolling pin between two parchment papers.
In your mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar at a fast speed for about 20 minutes. The longer you beat the dough, the better kourabiedes you will get. This is the secret to making better kourabiedes.) Once you’re done mixing, slowly pour in the flour, baking powder, and vanilla, and continue beating at a lower speed (to avoid straining your mixer) for 10 minutes.
Finally, add the crushed almond and rum and mix well. Mold the dough into round balls with diameter of 3cm, and slightly flatten them with your thumb. Place on top of baking parchment in a baking pan, and bake in a pre-heated oven at 170°C for 20-30 minutes, depending on their size.
Remove from the oven and let cool down to room temperature, then toss them into a bowl with powdered sugar. Make sure they are thoroughly covered on all sides, and place them on a serving tray in the form of an ascending pyramid. Dust each layer of the pyramid with powdered sugar as you build it.
