Welcome to Day 1 of Jersey Bites’ very first 12 Days of Cookies! First up is a recipe for Koulourakia from Veronique Deblois. Enjoy and don’t forget to PIN all of the great recipes coming your way!
Koulourakia
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ounce of whiskey mixed with a pinch of baking soda
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
approximately 3 1/2 cups flour
1 large egg, beaten with ¼ cup milk
sesame seeds (approximately 5 tbsp.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
1. In a large bowl, whip the butter until creamy, approximately 1 minute. Add sugar and blend. Add eggs, beating well after each one. Add baking powder. Add whiskey mixture and vanilla. Add flour. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
2. On a lightly-floured surface, form a tablespoon of dough into a ball then roll it into a 7-inch long rope (sprinkle dough with some flour if it’s too sticky). Take the two ends of the rope, join them, then twist to form a braid. (Here’s a video on how to do this).
3. Line 4 cookie sheets with wax paper. Place cookie braids about 2 inches apart on the wax paper-lined trays and brush tops with the egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with sesame seeds.
4. Place 2 cookie sheets on the top rack of the oven and bake until tops of cookies are browned, approximately 10 minutes. Switch the cookie sheets from the upper oven rack to the bottom oven rack and bake an additional 10 minutes. Repeat process with additional baking sheets.
5. Take cookies out of the oven and cool for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a kitchen towel and cool completely.
Notes: You’ll need 4 cookie sheets for this recipe (can cool and wash the first 2 cookie sheets after the first batch of cookies have baked). You’ll likely need to re-refrigerate the dough after you roll and braid enough cookies for 2 baking sheets. Not into braiding? Koulourakia can also be made into a circle using a 7-inch long rope! Do not store cookies before they’ve cooled completed or they’ll lose their crunch.
Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie: Veronique is a food and wine writer based in Morris County, NJ. As the author of the popular blog, Food & Wine Chickie Insider, Veronique shares recipes, wine and restaurant reviews and insight into the travel industry of which she’s a 15-year veteran. Follow Veronique on Twitter or like her Facebook page.