Koulourakia are traditional Greek cookies which along with tsourekia are the “trademark” of Greek Orthodox Easter.
The week before Easter every family (or almost every family nowadays) is preparing koulourakia and tsourekia. Koulourakia are vanilla and orange scented cookies, crispy outside and soft inside, not overly sweet but full in flavor.
“Let’s keep proudly representing our heritage. Easter time is nearly here and we want to fill every neighbourhood around the world with the smell of freshly baked ‘Koulourakia’,” fourth generation pastry chef and owner of Adelaide’s Kalymnos Pastries, George Diakomichalis, tells The Greek Herald.
Koulourakia Paschalina (Greek Easter Cookies)
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup caster sugar
-125 gms unsalted butter (softened)
-3 x large eggs (2 for mix/ 1 for egg wash)
-Grated rind of 1 orange
-1/4 cup milk
-1 Tbsp Vanilla sugar/essence
-Self raising flour (approx 470gms) or until dough firm enough to work with.
Method:
- Preheat oven 180°C.
- In mix master/hand mixer: Whisk butter, sugar, orange rind and vanilla on high speed until well creamed
- Slowly add two eggs and milk (on low gear) until combined
- Add self raising flour
- The dough should be smooth, soft and not sticky. Take a small amount of it and try to shape it to a koulouraki. If it can be shaped it is ok. If not add a little more flour.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
- Take small amounts of dough and shape the koulourakia, shape them and place them on the baking sheet
- Brush with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown
You can follow George Diakomichalis’ on Facebook or Instagram on: Kalymnos Pastries, It’s All Greek To Me and Bake With George
