Koulourakia- Greek Easter cookies
You can halve this recipe if you don’t want that many cookies. But they are really good.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1-1/2 tablespoons baker’s ammonia (or substitute baking powder)
250 grams (8.8 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature (that’s 2 sticks + 1.5 tablespoons)
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest of 2 oranges
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 kilo or 2.2 pounds of all purpose flour
2 egg yolks and sesame seeds (optional) for decorating
Method:
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until it’s lukewarm, feels like bath water. Take it off the heat and stir in the bakers ammonia (or stir in the baking powder if you are substituting). It will bubble up. Set it aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Beat for a few minutes until the butter is pale, light and fluffy.Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl and scrape down the paddle. Beat again until butter, eggs and sugar are uniformly combined.
- Add the vanilla, milk mixture, and zest. Mix on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl. Mix again for another 2 minutes. Mixture will look a little curdled. That’s ok.
- Add 90% of flour and mix until combined. You want a texture that is soft but not too sticky and can hold its shape. If the dough is too sticky add the remaining 10% of flour.
- Leave dough in bowl and cover in plastic wrap. Let it rest 1 hour before shaping and baking.
- After at least 1 hour, heat your oven to 350F and get your sheet pans ready with parchment or silicone mats.
- Shape you’d cookies by pinching off a golf ball size piece and rolling it out into a snake about 1/4” in diameter. Shape by twisting the snake into various shapes & knots. Be creative!
- Brush on an egg wash of 2 yolks with a 1/2 teaspoon of water. Sprinkle on sesame seeds.
- Bake for approx 12-15 minutes. Start checking at 10 minutes. Should be getting golden brown on bottom at top. You may need to rotate your land for even heating.
- Cool & enjoy. Store in airtight container.