11 Easy Steps to Perfect Koulourakia: Elevate Your Easter with Delicious Greek Cookies.

Stress-Free Koulourakia for Family and Friends!

Let’s talk about Koulourakia! They’re practically synonymous with Greek Easter and are the perfect treat to pair with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. These little delights are sweet, they melt in your mouth, and as my Pappou Andoni would say, they’re “san vamvaki,” which means as soft as a cotton ball.

You can dress them up with sesame seeds or leave them plain. Either way, they’re pure perfection. Plus, they’re a fantastic option when you’re heading to someone’s house for Easter and want to arrive with a thoughtful gift in hand.

What’s even better is that they stay fresh for a while if you store them in an airtight container. That means you can savour them for a week or two even after Easter is over.

And here’s the fun part: getting the kids involved! Let them lend a hand in rolling the dough into shapes. While I’ve shared one way to make the shapes, the possibilities are endless! Let your creativity run wild!

For the chocolate koulourakia variation click here!

Here’s the dough after mixing and kneading. Still a bit sticky but that’s the magic in the making.

Shaped like little snails, ready to bake.

Behold the twists in my koulouria

Count ’em all – 78 (okay, maybe 77… I couldn’t resist snatching a taste)

Flip ’em over. Here’s a glimpse of the underside colouring that you’re looking to achieve.

And voilà! Here’s a sneak peek inside, where the real magic happens.

Anne

Greek Easter Koulourakia/Cookies

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Servings: 50 Koulourakia

Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 cups caster sugar
• 65 g vanilla sugar
• 6 eggs one is for basting
• 125 g unsalted butter
• 1 kgs self-raising flour keep an additional 250g aside
• 1 cups milk
• 1 orange use the juice (no pulp) and rind of the orange
• 30 g vegetable oil any neutral tasting oil is fine to use and replace if you don't have vegetable oil.
• sesame seeds optional
• 1 tbsp water

Method

 

Make the Dough

1. Melt the butter, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then pour in lukewarm milk, oil, orange juice and rind.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the caster sugar and vanilla sugar and 5 eggs until its pale in colour and fluffy.
3. Combine 1 and 2 above into one bowl.
4. Slowly mix in the flour.
5. Use your hands to combine everything together until a dough is formed and it no longer sticks to your fingers. Persist with kneading until it no longer sticks to your fingers. Note: Many people think that the key is just keep adding more flour because the dough is too sticky but this will result in a drier biscuit. See notes below for more information on the additional flour and when to add it.
6. Once you're happy with the texture, allow the dough to rest in your fridge in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

Make the Shapes & Bake

1. Lightly dust your work bench with plain flour and cut 20-30g of dough from your big dough ball.
2. For Twists: Roll the dough piece between your hands into a ball and then use the bench to roll it into a long rope, and then fold the rope it in half to form a U shape. Twist the ends of the dough and place it on a lined baking tray. a couple of centimetres apart.

   For Snails: Roll the dough piece into a long rope then twirl it to make a round snail shape

   For Rings: Shape the rope into a circle and pinch the ends together to seal

Make the Egg Wash & Bake

1. Whisk the last egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water – this is your egg wash. Brush the egg wash over each biscuit and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
2. Bake in a preheated 180°C fan oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on the colour of your koulourakia. If it means pulling them out at 15 minutes then do so!

Notes

1. Depending on the temperature of your home, you might need to adjust the amount of flour used. In drier, more humid conditions, 1kg of self-raising flour could suffice. However, in colder environments like my current chilly abode, where the heater’s on the fritz, an extra 250g of self-raising flour might be necessary. Add 100g at a time, knead and if it’s still too wet, add another 100g. Continue until the right consistency is formed.
2. Should your dough still feel overly sticky after incorporating all the flour, conduct a simple test: take a piece and roll it between your palms. If it forms into a cohesive ball, it’s good to go. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes on your countertop; this downtime will further solidify its texture. If, however, the dough remains more akin to a wet batter and doesn’t shape up when rolled, continue adding flour until you reach the desired consistency.

FAQs: Easy Easter Koulourakia Recipe