Greek Holiday Cookies Recipes

GREEK HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add 2 eggs; beat well. Beat in orange juice and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., Roll dough into 1-1/4-in. balls. Shape each into a 6-in. rope; fold in half and twist twice. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , In a small bowl, beat the remaining 2 eggs; brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 7-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

GREEK BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease cookie sheets.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and egg until smooth.
• Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
• Blend in the flour to form a dough. You may have to knead it by hand at the end.
• Take about a teaspoon of dough at a time and roll it into balls, logs or S shapes.
• Place cookies 1 to 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned and firm.
• Allow cookies to cool completely.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar.

EASY EASTER GREEK COOKIES: KOULOURAKIA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place rack in the center of oven. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. (see recipe note).
• Place the sugar and the orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixture. Rub these two ingredients together for 2-3 minutes with your fingertips. Notice the change in color and aroma as the sugar absorbs the oils from the orange.
• Add the room temperature butter with the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
• Add the eggs, one at a time beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
• Add the egg yolk and again, beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, and ouzo (if using), beat together for 30 seconds. The mixture will appear curdled.
• At low speed, add the 3½ cups of flour and baking powder. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Add a few tablespoons of flour if the dough is still sticky.
• Optional: cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes before rolling.
• With a medium-sized cookie scoop, portion all the dough. You should have 40 smalls balls of dough, each weighing 25 grams.
• Roll each ball of dough into a 7-inch log. Shape into desired shapes (braids, pinwheels, twists, etc.) Refer to the pictures in the post.
• Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the underneath of the cookies turns golden brown.
• OPTIONAL: During the last minute of the baking, switch to broil for the tops to become slightly golden.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool down.
• Can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. Cookies can also be frozen.

GREEK BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Blend in the flour to form a dough. you may have to knead by hand at the end. Take about a teaspoon of dough at a time and roll into balls, logs or 'S' shapes. Place cookies 1 to 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned and firm. Allow cookies to cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar.

KOURAMBIEDES (A GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIE)

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for 15 minutes, until it begins to turn white. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add the egg yolks, the brandy, vanilla extract, and gradually add the flour, until you have a dough that is neither too soft nor too firm (you may need to add slightly more than the amount I've written); stir in the almonds.
• Let the dough stand for an hour at room temperature, covered with a clean dish towel.
• Next, with small amounts (about 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough), shape small rounds by gently rolling the dough around between the palms of your hands.
• Arrange the round cookies on a buttered pan and flatten ever so slightly on top with your hand.
• Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
• Immediately upon removing the kourambiedes from the oven, sprinkle them with rose water (or orange water or ouzo. I do this by putting a small amount of the liquid in a bowl, wetting my fingertips, and shaking the droplets over the hot cookies a few times. The scented water or ouzo gives the cookies a very delicate fragrance).
• Roll the hot cookies in icing sugar to cover and let cool.
• When cool, arrange on a pretty holiday platter, sieving more icing sugar between the cookie layers to give a snowdrift effect.

KOULOURAKIA - GREEK BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter until light and fluffy.
• Add sugar and beat the mixture until it lightens in color and is creamy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.
• Add the whisky, vanilla, and orange juice.
• Turn mixer tow low speed. Combine the baking powder, baking soda, and salt with 1 cup of flour, and add it to the mixer. Scrape down bowl.
• Gradually beat in 3-4 additional cups of flour until a soft dough forms and the dough starts to release from the sides of the bowl. You want it to be a soft - not stiff dough - so once it starts pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl, stop adding flour.
• Cover in plastic and let rest for 30 min. This step can be done a day ahead. Resting and refrigerating the dough is essential, or else you won't be able to roll out the cookies.
• Once the dough has chilled, form the cookies by taking a heaping teaspoon of dough and rolling it into a 5 to 6-inch long piece. Fold in half and twist together.
• Place 1 inch apart on a parchment or greased foil- lined baking sheet. Continue until all twists are formed.
• Whisk together 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon milk and glaze cookies with a pastry brush. Top with sesame seeds (optional).
• Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until golden in color. If you're baking multiple cookie sheets at once, place one on the top rack and one underneath and switch half way through.
• Remove to a rack and cool. Store in covered containers.

GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIES (KOURAMBIEDES)

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and salt and whip until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar, egg, brandy, and vanilla and beat until all of the ingredients are integrated. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add sifted flour to the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, remove the dough and transfer it onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes before rolling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• After the dough has cooled, pinch off small pieces and roll them into about 1-inch balls. Place them in a single layer with space in between each, on a greased baking sheet. Repeat the process until all of the cookie dough has been rolled. Place a clove in the center of each cookie. Alternatively, shape the ball into half moons with a clove in the center of each.
• Place the sheets in the oven and bake until the cookies are just slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool thoroughly, and then roll them in powdered sugar.

KOURABIEDES (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually stir into butter mixture until blended (mixture will be crumbly). , Shape heaping tablespoons of dough into crescents. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool 15 minutes., Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Toss slightly cooled cookies in sugar; return cookies to wire rack to cool completely. , Toss cookies in sugar once more before serving. Store in an airtight container, adding any remaining confectioners' sugar to cover cookies.

KOURABIEDES: GREEK FESTIVE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a large baking sheet lightly with butter or cooking spray.
• Fry or bake slivered almonds until a light golden brown.
• Beat butter in blender or with a hand mixer on high for 20 to 30 minutes until white, light and creamy. Add the egg and yolks one at a time mixing well to incorporate.
• Add 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, optional gum powder, rose water, ouzo and then almonds.
• Next sift together baking powder and flour. Slowly add to mixture,
• The final dough should be soft and easy to work with. So now form them into small balls -- about a fist-full. Form like dumplings and imprint thumb on all sides of the cookie.
• Bake for 10 to 20 minutes until light golden brown. Immediately splash with hand a mixture of 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup rose water.
• Finally, place cookies on a serving tray and use a sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar on cookies until coated.
• Then say, "Hopa" and enjoy with friends and family!!!