GREEK KOULOURAKIA COOKIES
The Greek Koulourakia Cookies are wonderfully buttery, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a hint of vanilla and orange. Koulourakia are extremely popular in Greece, traditionally prepared for the Easter festivities. These pretty little treats are not overly sweet but still so delicious, and great to serve with your afternoon tea.
HISTORY OF THE KOULOURAKIA COOKIES.
These wonderful Greek cookies are believed to have a long history. In the earliest records found, koulourakia were described to have a snake-like shape. For that reason, their origins were linked to the Minoans, an ancient civilisation that lived on the island of Crete and some of the Aegean islands between 3500 to 1100 BC, who worshipped the snake for its healing properties.
Nowadays in Greece, Koulourakia cookies are made for Easter in the shape of a twist representing the suppression of Evil or a braid symbolising the Holy Trinity.
HOW TO MAKE GREEK KOULOURAKIA COOKIES?
📋 INGREDIENTS FOR THE KOULARAKIA COOKIES
The traditional recipe for koulourakia cookies contains butter, flour, eggs, orange zest, baking ammonia and Greek brandy ( Raki).
Koulorakia recipe calls The benefits of baking ammonia are that it makes the cookies fluffier and preserves the crispness for longer. If baking ammonia is not available, replace it with baking powder.
The raki can be substituted with Ouzo or a different type of brandy. The alcohol evaporates during baking but leaves flavours and moisture in the cookies.
Although Koulourakia cookies can be flavoured with lemon or other citrus fruits, I think the original version with orange tastes best.
📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
These adorable cookies are addictive and not too hard to make if you follow the steps below:
Step 1: Make orange-flavoured sugar
You can use a hand or stand mixer to make the dough for the cookies.
Place the sugar and the orange zest in your mixer bowl, then rub the zest and the sugar with your fingers until the sugar changes colour and absorbs the oils from the orange zest. The orange-flavoured sugar will make your dough more flavoursome.
Step 2: Whisk the butter with the sugar
Take the butter out of the fridge for at least one hour before using it to allow enough time to get to room temperature.
Cut the butter into small pieces to make it easier to blend with the sugar.
Add the cubed butter to the mixing bowl with the sugar and use the mixer paddle attachment at low speed to beat the butter with the sugar. That will take 3-4 minutes.
With a spatula, scrape the mixture from the walls of the mixing bowl and continue whisking for another couple of minutes. The butter mixture is ready when it becomes fluffy and pale in colour.
Step 3: Add the eggs to the butter mixture
Add two eggs and one egg white to the butter mixture and whisk with your mixer for 4-5 minutes until the eggs are incorporated. Scrape the sides of your mixing bowl regularly with the spatula. Keep one egg yok to brush the cookies with it later.
When ready, the mixture will become lighter in texture and colour. Then, add the milk, orange juice, vanilla and alcohol.
Continue whisking with the mixer until the liquids blend and the mixture curdles. Do not be alarmed when that happens.
Step 4: Make the dough for the koulourakia cookies
In a separate bowl, stir the flour and the baking ammonia or baking powder to incorporate them.
Gradually add 3 1/2 cups of the flour to the curdled mixture while whisking it with the paddle attachment at a low speed until you notice a soft dough forming. Then, change the mixer attachment on your stand mixer with the kneading attachment and knead the dough on low-medium speed, or continue kneading by hand.
Add more flour if required and continue kneading the dough until it no longer sticks to the walls of your stand mixer bowl.
Step 5: Knead the dough for the cookies
Take the dough out of your stand mixer bowl and knead it by hand for a few minutes to ensure it is no longer sticky inside. The dough must remain light, soft and elastic.
Return the dough to the stand mixer bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel to prevent it from drying and forming a crust, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Shape Greek Easter Koulourakia cookies
There are many different ways that you can shape koulourakia cookies: twists, braids, greek letters, rabbits and snakes. The most common are the twists and braids.
How to make the Koulourakia twist?
Use a scale and portion the dough into 25g pieces or you can use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough. Roll one dough piece into a ball between your palms. Then roll it into a rope. Fold the dough rope in the middle and twist the two ends of the dough rope together. Cut the bottom end of the twisted dough rope to achieve a clean shape. Repeat with the rest of the dough portions.
How to make the Koulourakia braid?
Cut the dough into 25g portions. Roll each piece of dough between your palms to shape a small ball, then pull and roll the ball into a long rope. Cut 1/3 of the dough rope. Place the longer dough rope horizontally on your working surface, then position vertically the top end of the shorter piece of dough rope in the middle of the long dough rope to touch. Take the left end of the horizontal dough rope and pull it over the top of the vertical rope. Then, place the right end of the horizontal dough rope over the two dough ropes to form a braid. Continue to braid the dough in that manner until you have completed the dough braid.
Place the ready dough braids on a lined baking tray about an inch apart to allow room for them to rise. Brush the cookies with a yolk wash.
How to make and use yolk wash?
To make the yolk wash, you can use water, milk or cream and one egg yolk. In this recipe, I use water because it makes a lighter yolk wash which I prefer. Whisk the egg and water until combined. Brush the cookies with the egg yolk and sprinkle sesame seeds or granulated sugar on top.
Step 7: Bake the Koulourakia Cookies
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
Line a baking sheet or tin with parchment paper and place the Koulourakia braids an inch apart because they will rise a bit while they are baked. Bake the cookies in the middle of the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until they are golden in colour.
When the cookies are ready, take the baking sheet with the koulourakia cookies out of the oven. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a baking grid.
🍲 SERVE KOULOURAKIA COOKIES
Traditionally, in Greece, Koulourakia cookies are consumed for breakfast with a cup of Greek coffee. If you are curious about how to make and serve this thick, sweet and strong coffee, visit my post The Perfect Turkish Coffee. The method of making Greek coffee is very similar.
Greek koulourakia are great to serve with a cup of tea or coffee. They also make pretty gifts. Pack them in cellophane bags and tie the bags with beautiful ribbons.
how to store these cookies?
When the cookies are thoroughly cooled, place them in an airtight container and consume them within a week or two. You can freeze Koulourakie cookies to preserve them longer.
Bon Appétit!👨🍳👨🍳👨🍳
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Greek Easter Koulourakia Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet or tray
- Parchment paper
- A stand mixer or a hand mixer
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 -4 cups plain flour
- 11/2 teaspoon baking ammonia or baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 medium-size orange zest and juice
- 1/2 cup baking or unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon ouzo or brandy
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F.
- Grate the zest of one orange and squeeze the juice into a bowl.
- Place the sugar and the orange zest in the mixer bowl. Rub the orange zest and the sugar with your fingers until the sugar absorbs the essential oil of the orange zest. It will become orange in colour and will have a fantastic orange scent.
- Cut the soft butter into small pieces. Add it to the bowl with the sugar and whisk with the paddle attachment on your mixer for 2-3 minutes at low speed. Scrape the walls of the mixer dish with a spatula and continue whisking the butter and the sugar for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
- Separate the yolk from one of the eggs and place it in a small bowl to make the yolk wash with it. Add the two eggs and the leftover egg white to the bowl with the butter mixture. Whisk with your mixer at low speed until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is light in texture.
- Add the milk, orange juice, vanilla and brandy or ouzo. Continue whisking until the liquids are blended and the mixture curdles.
- Stir the flour and the baking powder to combine.
- Gradually add 3 1/2 cups of flour to the mixer bowl while mixing the mixture at low speed. You will see a sticky dough forming. Replace the attachment on your mixer with the kneading attachment and continue kneading the dough with it. Add small quantities of flour and knead until the dough is no longer sticking to the walls of the mixer bowl. Take the silky dough out of the mixer bowl and knead it by hand for a few minutes to ensure it has the right consistency. The dough must be soft, elastic and light.
- Use a scale and cut the dough into 25g pieces, or use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough. Roll the piece of dough between your palms to shape into a ball, then pull and roll the ball into a long rope. Cut 1/3 off the dough rope, place the longer piece horizontally on your working surface, and position the top end of the shorter dough piece in the middle of the long horizontal dough rope to touch. Take the left end of the horizontal dough rope and pull it over the top of the vertical rope. Then, place the right end of the horizontal dough rope on top of the folded dough pieces to form a braid. Continue to weave the dough until the braid is completed. Place the ready dough braids on a lined baking tray about an inch apart to allow room for them to rise.
- Prepare a yolk wash and brush the braids with it. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes or until they are golden in colour. Take the sheet with the cookies out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to a baking grid. Leave the cookies on the baking grid until they are completely cool.
- Store Koulourakia cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and consume them within two weeks. You can also store koulourakia in the freezer.
