Koulourakia - Greek Easter Cookies

Koulourakia are traditional Greek Easter cookies prepared during Greek Orthodox Easter festivities. Flavoured with orange zest and topped with sesame seeds, these Greek butter cookies will become a new staple on your Easter table.

Contents

• You will love these
• What goes into this recipe
• How to make this recipe 
• Koulourakia shapes
• Expert tips
• FAQ's
• More Greek Easter Recipes
• 📋 Recipe

You will love these

• They are addictive. You have been warned! These traditional Greek Easter cookies are the best dunking cookie. They’re perfect with a cup of coffee, a glass of milk or afternoon tea. Once you’ve done this once, you most definitely will do it again (and again!). Yes! They are that good. You have been warned.
• They’re the perfect festive cookie. Even though koulourakia traditionally fall under Greek Easter desserts (much like kourabiethes), they’re generally made all year round. They make appearances during Greek name day celebrations, weddings and Christmas too. They are also flavoured with various ingredients such as ouzo, grape must, and olive oil.
• They’re fun to make. Making koulourakia is half the fun. Forming and shaping this traditional cookie takes a little practice and is fun for the whole family. If you prefer something a little bit easier to prepare, I can recommend my ouzo and lemon biscuits recipe.

What goes into this recipe

• Butter.
  Make sure to use good quality unsalted butter. Your butter also needs to be at room temperature (not melting) - the softer it is, the easier it is to cream with the sugar. These are butter cookies, after all!
• Sugar.
  I prefer to use caster (superfine) sugar when baking. You can use regular granulated sugar if that’s all you have on hand.
• Eggs.
  Eggs are used to help bind the dough and glaze the cookies with the egg wash.
• Flour.
  Use regular all-purpose flour to make these Easter biscuits.
• Orange.
  Koulourakia are traditionally flavoured with orange. This flavourful citrus (using orange juice and orange zest) injects a heady aroma and flavour. I sometimes like to use a combination of orange and lemon zest for an even stronger citrus hit.
• Vanilla Extract.
  Along with the orange, it adds a subtle sweetness and perfume.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda.
  These two ingredients work together to act as a leavening agent and help produce a soft Greek Easter cookie. In Greece, it was traditional to use baker’s ammonia (another type of leavening agent); however, this is not an easily accessible ingredient. The baking powder and soda work just as well.
• Sesame Seeds
  These are used to top our cookies. It is traditional to use them. However, it’s OK to omit them if you don’t have any on hand.

How to make this recipe 

• Step 1: Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer until pale and thick (make sure to use the paddle attachment). This should take approximately 3-5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

• Step 2: Add your eggs one by one ensuring they are mixed well.

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• Step 3: In a separate jug combine the orange juice, zest, vanilla, baking powder and soda. Stir and add this back to creamed butter mixture. Mix again until well incorporated.

• Step 4: At low speed, slowly add the flour (I like to use a large spoon to do this), making sure it is mixed well before adding the next one. Repeat until all the flour is used and you have a soft dough.

• Step 5: Check the dough with your fingers - it should feel soft (not sticky) - yet pliable. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for half an hour in the fridge.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and form it into a ball. If you want to be super precise, you can weigh your koulourakia - for reference, mine weighed 30 grams - approx. 1.5 oz

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• Step 6: Using your hands, roll out the dough into a long rope - approx. 20 cm (7-8”) and form into your desired shapes. You can do plaits, “snails”, S shapes and pinwheels (refer to picture below).

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• Step 7: Preheat your oven to 170 deg C - 340 F (NOT fan-forced) and place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle over sesame seeds.

• Step 8: Cook for 20- 22 mins until they have coloured. Leave them on the baking sheet for 5 mins. Then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Koulourakia shapes

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The fun part about baking Easter cookies are the different shapes you can make. The long braided one is perfect for dunking in Greek coffee! They also come shaped as “snails”, wreaths, “S” shapes, rings - let your creativity guide you!

Expert tips

• The dough.  Achieving the right texture for our dough is paramount in producing Greek Easter cookies. It’s important to feel the dough once it’s been kneaded in the stand mixer. Use your fingers and if you think it’s too sticky, adjust by adding a little extra flour. Add one tablespoon at a time and feel after each mix. Don’t add too much otherwise, your cookie dough will turn out dry and crumbly.
• The colour of your koulourakia.  Because these are butter cookies, they tend to be more on the blonde side when baked. Glazing them with egg wash gives them a nice golden brown colour. If you find they are still a little pale, try placing them under a broiler for a few minutes - just don’t burn them!
• Storing.  You can keep your cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.

FAQ's

More Greek Easter Recipes

Consider adding some of these recipes during Easter time and join in the celebration.

Kalo Pascha!

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