Koulourakia Butter Cookies Food

KOULOURAKIA (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES WITH SESAME)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Serve and 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.

SESAME GREEK EASTER COOKIES (KOULOURAKIA)

Steps:

• Cream butter. Add sugar gradually.
• Add eggs one at a time alternately with orange juice.
• Add flour that has been sifted with soda and baking powder, a little bit at a time. Should be a soft dough.
• Shape as desired and brush with egg and milk mixture. Traditional Greek cookies are 2 small strands of dough twisted together and brushed with egg-milk mixture and sprinkled with sesame seed.
• Use greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees to 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

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 (GREEK BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter& sugar until very light& fluffy.
• Add egg yolks, milk, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon& baking soda; mix well.
• Gradually add flour, about 1 cup at a time, until dough is no longer sticky (dough should not stick to your hands, but should not be too dry).
• Dough should be easy to handle without chilling.
• Take a 1" lump of dough, and roll into a 6" log on work surface.
• Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on work surface; roll log over seeds.
• Form log into a ring or twist; place on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
• Brush each ring or twist with egg white.
• Bake 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool completely on wire rack.
• Store in airtight container.

KOULOURAKIA (BUTTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until fluffy.
• Add egg, brandy and vanilla, beating well.
• Add flour mixture, a little at a time, beating in well after each addition.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a 6-inch rope, fold in half and twist 2 or 3 times, pinch ends together.
• Place 1 inch apart on 3 greased cookie sheets.
• Brush with egg/milk mixture.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake 10-13 minutes in a preheated 180C (375F) oven until golden.
• Cool on rack.
• Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

ORANGE COOKIES (KOULOURAKIA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a ungreased cookie sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even toasting. Remove from oven and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine flour baking powder, baking soda, cloves. Set aside.
• In a food processor (or blender), combine the lemon and orange zest with the sugar. Process for several minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides. You want the zest to be chopped very fine and well incorporated into the sugar. Add the walnuts and canola oil and continue processing until the walnuts have been pureed into the sugar. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Place the butter into the food processor and mix for a minute until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the sugar, zest, walnut mixture, egg and egg yolk and either brandy or juice. Process just until these ingredients are well mixed into the butter.
• Gradually add in the flour, pulsing quickly after each addition. Use as little mixing time at this point as over-processing the dough toughens the cookie. Once mixed, divide dough into two balls, wrap each ball in wax paper and place in fridge for 90 minutes or longer.
• Preheat (or reheat) oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with a light brush of oil or cooking spray.
• Take one ball of dough and split in half. Return half to fridge while working with the other. With the half you are working with, pinch off a ball of dough about the size of a shelled walnut. Quickly roll into a rope about 4 to 6 inches long. Ropes can be shaped into rings, horseshoes or an 'S.' Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. If the dough warms and becomes difficult to handle, return it to the fridge and continue working with another piece of well-chilled dough.
• Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until they are browned on the edges and just a little golden on the tops. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 2 or 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

KOULOURAKIA (GREEK SESAME TWIST COOKIES)

Steps:

• Set oven to 350°F.
• Grease a cookie sheet/s.
• In a bowl using an electric mixer beat 1/2 cup butter, 6 tablespoons butter, oil and orange zest until very well blended (about 4 minutes).
• Add in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until blended (about 2 minutes).
• In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add into the creamed ingredients alternately with the orange juice.
• Divide the dough into six balls.
• Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into about a 15-inch long rope.
• Fold rope lengthwise in half.
• Twist folded rope 4-5 times.
• Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Brush the cookies with egg glaze and then sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool completely before storing.

KOULOURAKIA (GREEK EASTER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add 2 eggs and blend well. Add milk and orange juice and beat on high for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour to butter mixture and beat well until a soft dough is formed (add a bit more flour if needed, until dough is no longer sticky but soft).
• Pinch off 1″ balls of dough and shape into a 6″ long rope. Braid the two ends together and place one inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Beat the remaining egg with the 2 tablespoons of water. Brush each cookie with egg wash. You may sprinkle with sesame seeds at this point, if desired.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on rack. These store and freeze well, just place in freezer bags or containers.
• 4 Dozen.