Koulourakia Recipes

KOULOURAKIA II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream together butter or margarine and butter. Add sugar , flour, baking powder, 1 egg , vanilla, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and milk.
• Chill dough until easy to handle.
• On a floured board roll tablespoon size pieces into ropes. Place on cookie sheet in S shapes. Brush with remaining egg that is beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degree C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

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.

KOULOURAKIA I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in 2 of the egg yolks, one at a time. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the half and half.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter mix and blend.
• To shape cookies, pinch of 1 inch balls of dough and roll each into a 7 inch strand. Bring ends together and twist, to form a twirled look to each one.
• Beat remaining egg yolk with remaining half and half and brush lightly over cookies and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.

KOULOURAKIA

Steps:

• Always a good idea to read the Helpful Hints, above.
• Melt the vegetable shortening in a small saucepan, or even in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat all 8 egg whites for approximately 5 minutes over medium speed. Continue to beat until they are very fluffy.
• To the egg whites, with the mixer still working, add the 6 egg yolks, a few at a time. Continue to beat for approximately 3 - 5 more minutes. Periodically, using a rubber spatula, push down any of the egg which has found its way onto the side of the mixing bowl.
• When well incorporated, pour the beaten eggs into a very large bowl. Wash out the bowl of the mixer and add the melted vegetable shortening. Beat over medium speed for about 3 minutes. Slowly add in the granulated sugar. Continue to beat well over medium speed.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan mix together the milk and the ammonium carbonate. On medium heat, stir continuously with a whisk, until the milk looks like it is going to bubble over (approximately 5 minutes). At this point, pour the milk + ammonium mixture carefully into the mixing bowl which contains the vegetable shortening and sugar. Turn off the mixer while you are making this addition. Stand back...it's going to smell! Turn mixture back on and whisk together for another 2 - 3 minutes. To this mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of all purpose flour. Mix well until all ingredients are well combined.
• In a small bowl combine the baking powder, the vanilla powder and 1/2 cup all purpose flour. Mix well.
• Now, into the large bowl where you have your eggs you will add the various combinations of ingredients. Add the flour/baking powder/vanilla powder combination. Add the vegetable shortening/sugar/milk combination. Then, add an additional 5 cups of all purpose flour
• With your hands, mix all ingredients well. You are almost massaging the ingredients together to incorporate everything. After mixing everything together add an additional 1 cup of all purpose flour. You should get to the point where you can knead the dough in the bowl.
• You may need to add 1/4 - 1/2 cup more flour if your dough is still wet. Keep in mind that the dough for the koulourakia will be sticky. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 15 - 20 minutes. This period of rest will allow the dough to "stiffen" up a bit, making it easier to work with. If you're not sure if you need to add more flour, bake a few as a sample, if they flatten out too much, then you need to add a little more flour, perhaps 1/4 cup-1/2 cup
• Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Start forming your koulourakia. Take a small piece of dough (about the size of a walnut) and roll it into a long strip. Fold this strip in half and then twist the two halves together. This makes the traditional twisted shape. Alternatively, you can make a circle with your long strip. You can also make any kind of shape you like, so long as they are all pretty much the same size. You can watch a video here.
• Prepare your egg wash by mixing together the 2 egg yolks, milk and water. Brush on top of each koulouraki.
• Bake in top third of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes (or mid rack, for 14-18 minutes) until a beautiful golden colour.
• Enjoy!

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.

KOULOURAKIA RECIPE (GREEK EASTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional koulourakia recipe, start by mixing the butter and sugar. In a mixer's bowl add the sugar and butter (chopped) and mix for about 10-15 minutes, until the butter is creamy and fluffy. (Once starting to prepare this koulourakia recipe, make sure that the butter is at room temperature).
• In the meantime warm the milk until lukewarm and remove the pot from the heat. Add the ammonia and whisk until fully dissolved. Set aside.
• , whilst mixing, allowing time for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. Pour in the the vanilla extract, the orange zest and the milk & ammonia blend and mix to combine. Add the flour, a little bit at a time, whilst mixing, until the ingredients are combined and the dough is soft and not too sticky.
• Cover the dough for the koulourakia with some plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
• Place the dough for the koulourakia on a clean working surface, take a small piece of dough and form long cords. Shape the koulourakia with your hands, giving them any shape you like.
• Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and place the koulourakia, leaving some distance between them as they will rise a lot when baked. For this koulourakia recipe, you will need approx. 4-5 large baking trays, depending on the size of the cookies you make.
• In a small bowl add the egg yolks and 1 tbsp water and whisk with a fork. Brush the top of the koulourakia and bake in preheated oven at 200C/400F fan for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked and golden brown on the outside (or the ammonia would not have been fully used up).
• Let the koulourakia cool down completely on a cooling rack and store in airtight containers for up to three weeks.

IRENE'S SWEET KOULOURAKIA

Steps:

• All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter for 5 minutes in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar to the mixture and beat another 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs and beat until blended. Add the orange juice and the vanilla extract.
• In a large bowl combine the baking powder and baking soda with about 1 cup of flour and stir in the egg mixture slowly. Add the remaining cups of flour gradually. The dough is ready when it leaves the sides of your mixing bowl completely. The dough is soft and pliable.
• Using a Swedish meatball scoop, begin cutting balls out of the dough. Roll out the dough balls in long rope like portions, fold over in half and twist. Place the cookies on a greased baking pan.
• Beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl to make the glaze. Brush the cookies on the pan with the glaze and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

KOULOURAKIA

Steps:

• Sift the flour and baking powder together.
• Place the caster sugar into the bowl of a food processor.
• Add the soft butter and, using the whisk attachment, beat for 5 to 7 minutes on medium speed, until the mixture becomes very creamy.
• Change to the beater attachment, and at medium speed, add, one at a time, the orange zest, vanilla seeds, mastic, cloves, and salt.
• Then add the eggs one by one. Wait until each egg is fully incorporated before adding another.
• Dissolve the ammonium bicarbonate in the orange juice, and immediately add to the bowl.
• Reduce the speed of the food processor, and add the flour in 3 batches.
• As soon as the flour has been added, and the dough is formed, stop beating.
• The cookie dough should be soft and very supple.
• Cover and let stand 20 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• In another bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. Set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Divide the dough into about 75 pieces the size of a large walnut, and shape into braids, twists, snails, or figures of eight shapes.
• Place the koulourakia on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, making sure they are evenly spaced apart.
• Brush with the glaze, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Allow the glaze to dry for 5 minutes, then bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a rack.
• Store the koulourakia in an airtight metal box to keep them crisp.

KOULOURAKIA (GREEK EASTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, and beat until lightly colored. Add the milk, vanilla, orange zest, and baking powder. Mixing as you add.
• Add the flour, a little at a time, while mixing, until you have a soft, but not sticky, dough.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill 30 min.
• While your dough is resting, preheat your oven to 350F
• Once the dough has rested, dip your fingers in a little flour and pinch off a 1 inch ball of dough. Roll the ball into a 7 inch rope on a lightly floured surface. Fold the rope in half and twist the two strands together to form the cookie. Continue with the remaining dough.
• Place the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 1 inch apart.
• Brush each cookie with the egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water). Sprinkle the cookies with sesame seeds, if desired
• Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes, rotating your baking sheet halfway through baking time for more even cooking. Cookies are done when they are lightly golden.
• Let the koulourakia cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
• (This recipe makes a lot of koulourakia) so, if you need to, just cover any excess dough while your first batch bakes, so it doesn't dry out.)