**Koulourakia: A Taste of Greek Tradition**
Koulourakia, also known as Greek honey twists or anise twists, are a quintessential part of Greek culture and cuisine. These delectable cookies are a staple during festive occasions, especially during Easter and Christmas, and hold a special place in the hearts of Greeks worldwide. With their golden-brown exterior, crispy texture, and sweet, aromatic flavor, koulourakia are a true delight for the senses. This article presents a collection of authentic Greek koulourakia recipes that will guide you through the process of creating these traditional treats at home. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting, these recipes offer a range of options to suit your skill level and preferences. From classic koulourakia with a hint of anise to variations featuring nuts, chocolate, and orange zest, there's a recipe here for every taste. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and embark on a culinary journey to discover the magic of Greek honey and anise twists.
KOULOURAKIA RECIPE (GREEK EASTER COOKIES)
The fluffiest and crunchiest traditional Greek Easter cookies recipe (koulourakia) you have ever made! These sweet little Greek Easter cookies are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive to eat! Discover how to bake them to perfection with this traditional Greek recipe.
Provided by Eli K. Giannopoulos
Categories Dessert
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 9
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.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 cookie, Calories 88kcal, Sugar 3.9g, Sodium 4.9mg, Fat 3g, SaturatedFat 1.7g, UnsaturatedFat 1.1g, TransFat 0g, Carbohydrate 13.6g, Fiber 0.4g, Protein 1.7g, Cholesterol 19.5mg
KOULOURAKIA - GREEK BUTTER COOKIES
Koulourakia (or Koulouria) are one of the most revered traditional Greek desserts. Growing up in a Greek community, friends always offer the sweet butter-based cookies as a casual afternoon snack; they are also fixtures at every celebration, and on every holiday spread. Koulourakia are most often associated with Easter, but I don't think I've attended a holiday party in a Greek household where they didn't make an appearance.
Provided by Christina Xenos
Categories Breakfast
Time 1h55m
Yield 80+ cookies
Number Of Ingredients 15
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 74.28 kcal, Fat 3.92 g, TransFat 0.14 g, Cholesterol 15.81 mg, Carbohydrate 8.68 g, Protein 1.08 g, Fiber 0.24 g, Sugar 3.2 g, SaturatedFat 2.29 g, Sodium 40.8 mg
KOULOURAKIA "GREEK TWISTS"
Add an additional 1/4 stick unsalted butter if you want a moister cookie. 1 pound of shortening can be substituted for the 1/2 pound of unsalted butter if desired.
Provided by Ralph Bischoff
Categories Cookies
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- 1. Melt Butter and beat until smooth. Add eggs (one at a time) beating after each addition. Combine milk to sugar and stir until dissolved. Add butter to mixture and keep beating.
- 2. Blend baking powder with 1 cup flour and add to butter mixture. Add cinnamon, vanilla and anise and beat slightly. Gradually add mixture to remaining flour, knead it by hand until a stiff dough is formed. Shape as desired; place on a greased cookie sheet; brush tops with an additional beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees until golden brown ( 10 to 15 minutes)
- 3. I make a small ball and then roll it out until I get a stick about 3/8" in dia and 6" long. Makes 6 to 8 dozen depending on thickness. "MAKE AN ONX"
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.
EASY EASTER GREEK COOKIES: KOULOURAKIA RECIPE
These easily recognizable traditional Greek Cookies, aka Koulourakia, are often associated with Greek Easter. Once you taste these not too sweet, slightly crunchy on the outside and tender soft on the inside biscuits, with just a subtle hint of orange and vanilla, you will be making Koulourakia throughout the year.
Provided by Maria Vannelli RD
Categories Dessert
Time 1h13m
Number Of Ingredients 14
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.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 serving, Calories 86 kcal, Carbohydrate 13 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 3 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Sodium 23 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 4 g, TransFat 1 g, UnsaturatedFat 2 g
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start baking, make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment ready to go. This will help you stay organized and avoid any scrambling.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: The fresher your ingredients, the better your koulourakia will taste. Use high-quality butter, eggs, and honey.
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough before baking helps to firm it up and make it easier to work with. This will also help the koulourakia hold their shape better in the oven.
- Roll the Dough Evenly: When rolling out the dough, try to keep it as even as possible. This will help the koulourakia bake evenly.
- Don't Overcrowd the Baking Sheet: Make sure to leave enough space between the koulourakia on the baking sheet so that they have room to rise. Otherwise, they will stick together and won't bake properly.
- Bake Until Golden Brown: The koulourakia are done baking when they are golden brown. Keep an eye on them so that they don't overbake.
Conclusion:
Greek honey and anise twists (koulourakia) are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether you are looking for a sweet snack or a special dessert, koulourakia are sure to please. So next time you are in the mood for something sweet, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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