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Yia-Yia's Greek Butter Cookies (They Taste Like Home)

Tender and crumbly authentic greek butter cookies, also knows as koulourakia, are crisp and perfect for dipping.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword almond cookies, butter cookies, greek cookies, koulouria, koulouria cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
1 hour
Servings 120 Cookies
Author Dikla Levy Frances

Ingredients

  • 4 Sticks (450g) Butter soft
  • 2 1/2 Cups (500g) Sugar
  • 6 Large Egg yolks
  • 2 Large Eggs (reserve egg whites for brushing the cookies)
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Cup (120ml) Orange Juice
  • 2 TBS Brandy or Whiskey
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 10 Cups (1200g) AP Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder

Instructions

  • In a bowl of a standing mixer, place the butter and sugar and beat to incorporate, about 1 -2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure you have a cohesive mixture.
  • Add the egg yolk followed by the eggs and mix to incorporate.
  • Add the orange juice and vanilla extract.
  • In a small bowl mix, the brandy and baking soda then add it to the butter mixture
  • Add the baking powder to the flour and mix, With the mixer on low, add 9 cups of the flour. Once the flour has been incorporated, stop the mixer and place the dough on a clean work surface.
  • Bring the dough into a large ball. If you feel that the dough is too sticky sprinkle the remaining of the flour (up to 1 cup). The dough should be smooth and easy to work with.
  • Preheat oven to 350F and line 5 cookie pans with parchment paper (if you have less that's ok)
  • Pinch a small dough ball, about 20 g (About half the size of a shelled walnut). Roll the dough into a 3-4" log, then shape it into a spiral or any of your preferred shape.
  • Place the cookie on a lined pan and keep going until the pan is full. Make sure to leave about 1.5" space between each cookie.
  • Brush it with the leftover egg whites and bake for 20-25 minutes or just until the cookies are golden on top and a bit darker at the bottom.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Notes

  • Make sure the butter, egg, egg yolks and orange juice are all at room temperature.
  • Store at room temperature for up to four weeks in a glass cookie jar, or an air-tight container.
  • Start by adding 9 cups of flour, and only incorporate more if the dough is too sticky.
  • The cookies are ready when they are medium-dark brown, the darker they are the crisper they are.
  • This recipe makes 100-120 cookies, and you can cut this recipe by half.
  • You can bake multiple of pan at once, make sure to alternate the position every 15 minutes or so.