Koulourakia Paschalina are Greek Easter Traditional Cookies, which are crispy outside and soft inside, full of orange flavour.
They are the perfect treat with coffee or tea.
Like most cookie recipes, this one as well has a lot of variations.
In others they add orange juice and orange rind, in others they do or do not add ammonia carbonate of baking soda, in others they add almond slivers, in others they add sesame seeds on top, sugar, etc.
Instead of brandy, some add ouzo in the cookies giving them an anise flavour. Others add milk instead of orange juice.
Most of the traditional Greek desserts like these Lambriatika koulourakia or tsourekia I learned to make them here in Greece and the recipes were given to me by my husband’s family.
I made some changes to their recipe and added butter instead of oil and the taste was much better.
Traditionally, these cookies were not made in Cyprus, where I lived until I got married, as we make flaounes for Easter.
However, during the last decades, with the use of the internet there is no single Greek recipe which they do not make in Cyprus as well.

How to make Koulourakia Paschalina
Put the flour in a large bowl and add baking ammonia, baking powder, vanilla powder, orange zest and salt. Whisk to combine.
Attach the K paddle to your stand mixer or use an electric hand mixer and cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in well before adding the next.
Add the orange juice and brandy and mix.
Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing in well before adding more until it is smooth but not sticky on the hands.
Put it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In order to make the cookies the same size, weigh the dough, about 30 grams each.
Put it is on your working surface and taking small pieces of dough form long cords, about 15 cm long and about the thickness of a woman’s pinky and shape them as you like.

Line your baking tin with parchment paper and place them a little spaced apart as they will rise.
Form the cookies into various shapes. Here are some examples.

Fold the cord in the middle and twist it to make a simple “braid”.

Just form them into a simple “S” shape.

Form them into two spirals each facing a different direction.

Just fold the cord in three.

Although these are not very traditional, you can pipe them using a star shaped nozzle.
Beat the egg yolk with some milk and brush the cookies.

Preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F (or 160o C if fan forced) and bake for about 15 minutes depending on your oven or until lightly browned.

Remove on a wire rack to cool and store in an air tight container.
On another note, Manina, of Manina’s Cooking, informed me that I was one of the five lucky winners to win Marcus Wareing’s fantastic cookbook, with my entry Pecan Cookies dessert and my One Perfect Ingredient which was whipped cream.
I am very excited and look forward to receiving it soon.

Koulourakia Paschalina (Greek Easter Cookies)
Koulourakia Paschalina are Greek Easter Traditional Cookies, which are crispy outside and soft inside, full of orange flavour.
Ingredients
- 250 grams of butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 500 grams soft flour (cake flour)
- 600 grams all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs - ½ yolk for egg wash
- ¾ of ½ cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup of brandy
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 sachet orange flavoured vanilla sugar
- 10 grams of ammonia carbonate (White Leavening Agent)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Egg wash:
- ½ yolk
- 3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Put the flour in a large bowl and add baking ammonia, baking powder,
vanilla powder, orange zest and salt. Whisk to combine. - Attach the K paddle to your stand mixer or use an electric hand mixer and cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in well before adding the next.
- Add the orange juice and brandy and mix.
- Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing in well before adding more until it is smooth but not sticky on the hands.
- Put it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Put it is on your working surface and taking small pieces of dough form long cords about the thickness of a woman's pinky and shape them as you like.
- Line your baking tin with parchment paper and place them a little spaced
apart as they will rise. - Beat the egg yolk with some milk and brush the cookies.
- Preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F (or 160o C if fan forced) and bake for
about 15 minutes depending on your oven or until lightly browned. - Remove on a wire rack to cool and store in an air tight container.
Nutrition Information
Yield 70 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 115Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 24mgSodium 66mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 0gSugar 6gProtein 2g

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!

Núria
Tuesday 22nd of April 2008
Hey Ivy, congratulations on the book prize!!! How exciting :D
Your cookies look great, girl! You don't have to buy them to have your family happy ;-)
Rosie
Saturday 19th of April 2008
Congratulations Ivy on winning the book :) Just loving your cookies!!
Rosie x
Cakelaw
Saturday 19th of April 2008
Congratulations Ivy! Bikkies with orange sound pretty special to me.
Ivy
Friday 18th of April 2008
Thanks everybody for visiting. I surely will be sharing some of these recipes when the book arrives.
Emiline
Friday 18th of April 2008
Well, I'm quite the fan of cookies. These look terrific!