Koulourakia – Greek Easter Cookies

Light and crumbly like shortbread but not too sweet, get ready for our Koulourakia cookies to knock your socks off this Easter. With flavours of sweet vanilla, sumac and citrus zest, these biscuits go perfect with a hot cup of tea and only need 20 minutes in the oven!

Why We Love This

When the shops are filled with Hot Cross Buns and chocolate eggs from top to bottom, it’s nice to make something a little different. Koulourakia not only taste great, they’re also fun to make all the different shapes without being complicated.

The biscuit’s light texture and ever-so-slightly sweet flavour with a refreshing citrus burst will have you wanting to bake multiple batches for the whole family.  The best part is dough AND biscuits are freezable for later.

For another citrus burst for Easter, whip up this Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake to serve alongside them! Or for the Italian version, check out our Sicilian Cuddura.

What are Koulourakia? 

With a simple base of flour, butter, sugar and eggs, Koulourakia are known as Greek Easter cookies but are also baked for Christmas treats too. They come in a heap of different shapes and subtle flavours. Lemon and orange flavours are more authentic, and others are a little non-traditional like the version we’re sharing today that includes one of our favourite spices – sumac.

It’s a powdered spice made from dried Middle Eastern berries. Often used with meats in Middle Eastern cuisine, it’s versatile enough to add to any sweet or savoury dish, adding a slightly tart, sour citrus burst and helping to offset some of that sweetness from the sugar in our Greek cookies. The great news is nowadays it’s readily available in the spice section of your supermarket or you can buy sumac online.

The basic/original Koulourakia recipe calls for a dash of vanilla extract, with some recipes including some freshly grated zest from citrus fruits like orange or lemon. (We love using lemon!) But there’s no reason you can’t mix things up if you’re feeling a little experimental!

What You’ll Need

If you have baking essentials in the cupboard, you’ll be set for getting those cookies in the oven. The only ingredients you may not have on hand is sumac and fresh lemon rind, both can be replaced with a couple of tablespoons of lemon or orange juice if you have them on hand instead. 

How to Make Koulourakia:

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 180˚C / 350˚F. Pop your butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and combine using a wooden spoon or beat on medium high until smooth and creamy.

Next, grate in your fresh lemon zest, adding as much or as little as you like depending on the strength or subtlety of flavour you’re after.

Add in the vanilla extract and sumac if you’re keen to try our Wandercooks version, or omit the spice if you prefer. Then mix briefly until the flavours are evenly mixed.

Then, add the eggs to the mixture, mixing through or blending on low until they’re evenly incorporated.

Now, add the baking powder and 1 cup of flour and mix for a few minutes until mixed through.

Continue adding the remaining flour a bit at a time until the mixture turns into a dough. You’re aiming for dough that’s still soft but not too sticky.

Transfer the dough mixture over to a clean surface and knead with your hands for a few mins until the dough is smooth and even.

Then cover with cling film and let it rest for 20 mins.

To make your dough shapes, take a small handful of dough and form into a ball with your hands, then roll out into a thin strip around 15 cm long x 1.5 cm wide.

Twist into braids, roll up into spirals or ‘S’ shapes, or form them into any shape your heart desires!

Watch our video for a step by step guide to rolling each shape. Get creative!

Optional: Brush with milk and top with any of the toppings you want to use, then place on a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Wandercook’s Tips

• If you find the dough is too dry, add a little more butter. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. Finally, if you’re still unsure, watch our video to see the texture for the perfect Greek Easter cookies.
• The biscuits last quite a while when stored in an airtight container, so don’t feel like you have to eat them all within a few days.

FAQs

Variations & Substitutes

• Get creative with your toppings. Traditionally speaking, Koulourakia cookies are normally brushed with beaten egg for a crispy golden shine.
  But if you’re looking to amp things up, you might like to try the following:
  • Icing Sugar: Play it safe with a light sprinkling or dust liberally for extra sweetness.
  • Sesame Seeds: a hint of savoury deliciousness.
  • Sliced Almonds: Nutty goodness and extra crunch.
  • Sprinkles: Non-traditional but lots of colour and fun, especially for little ones!
• Make the naughty version called Drunk Koulourakia aka Koulourakia Methismena. Add in a shot of ouzo, frangelico or whatever liqueur takes your fancy. 
• For a more golden topping brush with egg yolk instead of milk.

Want more cookies? We know your answer, so try these next:

• Chewy Almond Cookies
• Italian Butter Cookies
• Coffee Scroll Biscuits
• Anzac Biscuits
• Cantucci

★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment & star rating below!