Koulourakia Food

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.

KOULOURAKIA RECIPE (GREEK EASTER COOKIES)

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.

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 I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in 2 of the egg yolks, one at a time. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the half and half.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter mix and blend.
• To shape cookies, pinch of 1 inch balls of dough and roll each into a 7 inch strand. Bring ends together and twist, to form a twirled look to each one.
• Beat remaining egg yolk with remaining half and half and brush lightly over cookies and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.

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.

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.