Just in time for easter! These Traditional koulourakia (koulourakia paschalina) are traditionally served at Easter time but in all honesty, are a delicious butter biscuit made the whole year round in greek homes. They are made often as they are an all-rounder that everyone loves and they keep well in a Tupperware container. Koulourakia are light and fluffy perfect served with tea or coffee or to dunk into milk.
Greek Easter Biscuits are a butter-based cookie with hints of vanilla and orange, hand shaped in various braid shapes, brushed with an egg and milk wash on top, and sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds. They have a sweet delicate flavour with a hint of vanilla. Our greek home has been making these koulourakia biscuits for generations this way.
The dough is rolled into various shapes, mostly strands twisted together and brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
The recipe below has much less sugar than the traditional variety. If you like them on the sweet side, use 3/4 cup sugar.
Koulourakia and Greek Custom
Most holidays in greek traditions involve copious amounts of foods. Greek Easter Monday is a time of feasting for the extended family, and on Easter Sunday greek homes are preparing for the Easter Monday lunchtime gathering, making traditional meals and desserts. To finish off the huge feast, greek coffee is always served and a ‘koulouri’ ( singular term for one koulourakia cookie ). You see, having something semi-sweet to dunk into a coffee is a pleasurable and social experience. In fact, growing up in a small village in Greece, koulourakia were served as part of breakfast with a coffee, or as a wholesome snack for children to have with their milk.
As you can imagine, adults male and female, and children like to eat koulourakia at home and really, it is not just at Easter time, and as such most greeks would make these greek butter cookies in the hundreds. The recipe will make between 30 and 40 biscuits. Double your quantity (or triple) if you are feeding a Greek hoard!
For me, greek easter cookies are a staple, are made throughout the year for my family and are welcomed by everyone who I serve them to, even my non-Greek friends.
The recipe below has been updated to include some useful tips.
koulourakia (κουλουρακια) are traditionally served at Easter time but are a delicious butter biscuit the whole year round. They are light and fluffy vanilla scented biscuit perfect served with tea or coffee or milk and keep well. Cooking time depends on the size, shape and firmness of your cookie dough. Don't worry you may need to sample one or two just to be sure before removing from the oven. It is best to hold off using all the flour, when the dough has been mixed together well to a smooth consistency, if it is sticky then add a little flour at a time. Mix it in, grab a little piece then see if it rolls out to shape easily. You can use baking ammonia if your able to source it. If you do, use it in place of the baking soda and only use half the quantity. If you like your koulourakia a little on the sweet side, use 3/4 cup caster sugar. Vanilla, orange zest, anise are common traditional flavours. Have seen koulourakia iced and flavoured with chocolate. Choose whichever you like. When brushing the koulourakia with eggwash, brush the koulourakia sparingly and then 10 minutes before they are ready, brush them again. This will give the koulourakia a nice golden glow. Too much eggwash all at once, will give the koulourakia a crusty blotchy outer layer. Space your cookies generously, as they will increase in size. When shaping your koulourakia, make them smaller than you like as they will rise and enlarge. Run the sesame seeds under water, then strain very well - ensure no water comes out when you shake the sesame seeds from the strainer. The extra moisture absorbed by the sesame seed will ensure the sesame seeds stick to your dough and inevitably the koulouraki once it is cooked. Olives&Feta do not have control over the ingredients you use to make this recipe nor the environment in which you are making them. When Brands of ingredients are specified please check the brand as companies do change their products. Always read the label.
Koulourakia ( Greek Easter Butter Biscuits )
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
Glaze
Instructions
Notes
Substitutions
Tips
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
35
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 149Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 50mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g
Submit your review | |
These Koulourakia have a smooth texture and a taste this reminds me of my Yiayia. Every time these are in the house I religiously feast on them. They are definitely on my all time favourites list.
Thank you for the recipe 😀
Mmmm I'm so glad I can make these now. Thank you for the recipe.
These koulourakia, are as I remember them. Thank you for the wonderful pics, and recipe I have saved for next week.
These sound and look wonderful!
They are a staple in Greek homes
they are very Moorish even though they have no chocolate inside. Super versatile, adults have them with coffee or tea, children have them with milk.