Greek Easter Cookies Paschalina Koulourakia Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375°F In one bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking powder.
• In a second bowl mix the sugar and softened butter until fluffy. Stir in the vanilla, milk and egg. MIx thoroughly. Now slowly blend in the flour mixture until thoroughly mixed.
• Take about a teaspoon of dough and roll on floured counter. Roll until it´s about 5" long, then fold in half and twist. Pinch the ends together. Put on cookie sheet and brush with mix of yolk and milk. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.
• Bake about 13 minutes, until they turn golden brown. Serve cool.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add 2 eggs and blend well. Add milk and orange juice and beat on high for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour to butter mixture and beat well until a soft dough is formed (add a bit more flour if needed, until dough is no longer sticky but soft).
• Pinch off 1″ balls of dough and shape into a 6″ long rope. Braid the two ends together and place one inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Beat the remaining egg with the 2 tablespoons of water. Brush each cookie with egg wash. You may sprinkle with sesame seeds at this point, if desired.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on rack. These store and freeze well, just place in freezer bags or containers.
• 4 Dozen.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add the orange zest, orange extract, and vanilla extract and mix again for a few seconds until just blended. Add the lightly beaten eggs and process to incorporate fully.
• In the meanwhile, in a small bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and beat on low speed until the dough is just combined.
• Generously flour a clean work surface, the top of the dough and your hands. Empty the dough and knead it for just a few minutes, adding more flour if necessary, so it does not stick. The dough should feel soft and easy to work with. Try not to incorporate too much flour, or the cookies will not be tender.
• Form the dough into a disk, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 350˚ F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest for five minutes. Pinch off a small piece of the dough and roll it into a small, walnut-sized ball. Roll it out with your fingers into a thin rope about 7-inches long. Form the rope into a circle and secure the ends. Alternatively, you can also twist the dough and then form little circles with it. Place on the baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the dough until you have formed all your cookies.
• Brush your circles with some of the beaten egg and sprinkle with some pearl sugar (if desired). Bake for 12-14 minutes, making sure not to over bake the cookies. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. When they are completely cool, store them in a tin container for up to two weeks (if they last that long)!