Ingredients
- Greek Easter Koulourakia/cookies
- 1/2 kg. unsalted butter (room temp.)
- 7 – 7 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. of baking powder
- pinch of baking soda
- zest of three oranges
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. of ground Mastiha resin (place the mastiha in the freezer for a couple of hours, then remove and place between 2 sheets of cling wrap, crush to a powder with your rolling pin and add to your recipe)
- sesame seeds for topping
- 2 egg yolks + 2 Tbsp. milk for eggwash
- Pre-heated 350F oven
Preparation
Step 1
Place your soft butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with your hand mixer until creamed. Now add the orange zest, eggs (one at a time), the salt, baking soda, ground mastic and the orange juice.
As always, add your dry to wet using your hands. As the amounts of flour needed in a recipe may vary slightly, add the flour gradually and knead with your hands until the dough is soft but not sticky or tacky. Form into a ball, cover with saran wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes. During this period, clean up your work area and gather your baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.
Using a teaspoon, scoop some dough on your work surface and roll it out with your hand. Now you can form the dough into any shape you wish (I’ve given you a few ideas in the photos). Continue scooping dough and forming Koulourakia and place on your baking trays.
Whisk your egg yolk and milk and brush the tops of all your Koulourakia (cookies). Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sesame seeds.
Bake for 20 minutes or until just golden. Allow to cool, remove from the trays and store in airtight containers for up to 6 weeks.
* Mastika can be found in any middle eastern stores
http://www.kalofagas.ca/2010/04/03/sophias-easter-koulourakia-