These traditional Easter cookies (koulouria) are amazing and addictive. Most Greek houses bake their own koulouria during the Easter holidays but the recipe is slightly different from home to home. Very flavorful, airy and crunchy, they are perfect for your coffee or tea break! Enjoy!
Serves: almost 80 cookies Prep. time: 40′ Cooks in: 45′ Ready in: 1:25′
Ingredients
2 Kgr all purpose flour
40g baking powder
700 g good quality butter, in room temperature
400 granulated sugar
8 eggs
16 g mahleb (or mahlab)
1 tsp mastic crushed with 1 tsp sugar
4 oranges, zested
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks beaten with 1-2 tbsp milk, for brushing the cookies
sesame seeds for sprinkling the cookies (optionally)
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven at 180oC/fan. In a large bowl sift flour and baking powder.
Step 2
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat butter with sugar until white and fluffy. Add eggs gradually, waiting to incorporate before adding the next one. Then add mahleb, crushed mastic and orange zest waiting to incorporate. Stop the mixer.
Step 3
Stir in flour and milk, alternating the two ingredients, and mix with your hands until you get a nice, smooth, elastic dough.
Step 4
Line two shallow baking dishes with non-stick baking parchment. Knead in braids or just bring together the two ends to form round cookies with a hole in the middle. Transfer on the dishes. Make sure you leave some space between the cookies.
Step 5
Brush cookies with beaten egg and sesame seed. Bake until nicely colored. Continue with the remaining dough. Cool on wire rack and store in metal box.
Και η συνταγή στα ελληνικά: Πασχαλινά κουλουράκια
