koulourakia

Greek butter cookies. These cookies are typically made around Easter, to be eaten after Holy Saturday, but sometimes my honorary γιαγιά (ya ya) that lives next door bakes up a batch for me. Some koulourakia recipes have everyday pantry ingredients and their mixing technique is basic, but boy are these cookies a labor of love. Each cookie is rolled into a rope and hand twisted. And if you make the entire recipe, you could be hand forming anywhere between 4 to 6 dozen. Yikes! I halved the recipe because this was my first time making them. 

I should have asked my neighborhood γιαγιά for her recipe but I when I searched the web, they all seemed relatively the same. Some recipes had orange juice in them, or ouzo, and even sesame seeds sprinkled on top. I went with a little orange zest in my recipe with a simple egg wash.

Koulourakia
slightly adapted from The Cookie Crumbles
1/2 of the original recipe - makes 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter - room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 plus 2 tablespoons large egg - room temp ***1 large egg is roughly 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup. Whisk the whole egg and divide. Same remaining 2 tablespoons of egg for egg wash.***
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

egg wash - remaining 2 tablespoons egg 

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, with a hand held or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add orange zest, vanilla extract, and eggs. Mix until combined.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With your mixer on LOW speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Using a 3/4 ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out dough. Gently squeeze together if it looks a little dry and slowly roll out into a 6-inch small rope/snake. Twist into a desired shape.

Brush with the egg wash. Bake for 10 - 18 minutes depending on the shape. Remove when cookies are light golden brown. Let cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Καλό Πάσχα!!!
Happy Easter!!!