Koulourakia Ii Food

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 SMYRNEIKA (SMYRNA BISCUITS)

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add melted butter, eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla. Dissolve baking ammonia in the milk and add that to the flour mixture, too.
• Knead the ingredients together well until you have a soft, pliable dough.
• Shape dough into shapes of your choosing. 'S' shapes, braids and snails are popular in Greece.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet, or parchment-lined or silpat and brush with beaten egg white.
• Bake at 375F (180C) for 20 minutes.
• Note: If you can find a 'soft' flour, suitable for pastry-making, your koulourakia will be more authentic.

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.

KOULOURAKIA (AUTHENTIC)

Steps:

• Beat together vanilla, oil and eggs.
• Add sugar, salt and baking powder and mix.
• Add about half of the flour and mix. Gradually add the remaining flour until mixture comes away from the bowl. Do not over-add flour.
• Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into pencil-thin strips about 6 inches long. Fold in half and twist into a rope. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• Bake 350 about 15 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.