Best Citrus Spice Cookie Twists Koulourakia Portokaliou Recipes

GREEK EASTER COOKIES (KOULOURAKIA)

Steps:

• Cream oil, crisco, and butter together in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract and mix.
• Add 3 eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg.
• Add 1 cup flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix together. Slowly add 5 to 5.5 more cups of flour for 6 to 6.5 cups total.
• Break off a 1" round ball from the dough and, on a floured surface, roll the dough out to form a rope 6-8 inches long. Form the rope into your desired shape- the traditional twist first forms the rope into a U and then twists the open ends twice. Repeat.
• Mix remaining egg with 1 tbsp water and glaze the egg wash on the shaped cookies. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

CITRUS & SPICE COOKIE TWISTS (KOULOURAKIA PORTOKALIOU)

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the olive oil, sunflower oil, sugar, and grated peel, and add all remaining ingredients except the flour mixture. Combine well.
• Add the flour slowly, mixing with pastry hooks or by hand to make the dough. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl or when it no longer sticks to the hands.
• Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C).
• Take small pieces of dough, roll by hand into ropes and form into shapes: spirals, figure eights, pretzel shapes, etc.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets leaving space between, and bake at 340°F (170°C) for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned. Test for doneness. Cookies should be lightly browned and wonderfully crumbly all the way through.
• Cool on racks completely. When thoroughly cooled, store in cookie tins or glass containers with tightly-fitting lids, or freeze in plastic bags.

CITRUS & SPICE MARCONA ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk together egg white, orange juice, zest, salt, cumin, and paprika in a bowl, then add almonds and toss to coat.
• Spread almonds evenly on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and mix the nuts around, return to oven for another 10 minutes or until golden.
• Transfer nuts on parchment to a rack and cool completely (almonds will crisp as they cool).
• Loosen nuts from parchment with a spatula and transfer to a bowl.
• Note: These almonds can be made several days in advance and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

ANGEL EYES (ENGELSAUGEN)

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, butter, egg yolk, icing sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and grated lemon rind to form a dough. Leave the dough in a cool place for an hour.
• Out of the dough make small balls and place on a prepared baking tray. Make a small indentation in the middle of each ball, using your little finger and fill the hole, using a teaspoon, with raspberry jam.
• Bake your cookies at 200 degrees C for about 15 minutes.
• Leave them to cool and then coat the bottom of each cookie with melted chocolate and leave until firm.

PAXIMATHAKIA PORTOKALIOU - GREEK - ORANGE SESAME BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Tips:. You do not have to use the most expensive olive oil, just use a good one.
• To toast sesame seeds, place in a single layer on a non-stick cookie sheet or baking pan and roast for about 10 minutes at 400°F To grind the toasted sesame seeds, use a small mixer/chopper, a coffee bean grinder, or a mortar and pestle.
• Make sure to cool the biscotti completely before storing. The biscotti may be stored in airtight plastic containers (not refrigerated) for several months or frozen for longer because they contain no butter or eggs.
• Biscotti Dough:.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, cinnamon, orange and lemon juice with baking soda, grated peel, water, and sesame seeds. Beat at medium high for 5 minutes until thoroughly combined and the oil and juices are not separating. (If mixing by hand, use a whisk and beat until thoroughly blended.).
• In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour with the sugar and baking powder.
• Add the dry mixture to the liquid slowly, using dough hooks or a wooden spoon.
• Knead with hands in the bowl until the dough holds together then turn out on a floured surface. Knead well for 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and soft. (The dough will be softer and oilier than other cookie doughs.).
• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 parts to make 2 or 3 small loaves. .
• Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
• For each loaf:.
• Knead the dough until dense (holding together tightly), forming it into a loaf shape.
• Pinch the seam together, and form it into a loaf that is approximately 14 inches long and 1/2 to 3/4 inch high. Place the seam side down.
• Using a floured knife (not serrated), slice the loaf almost all the way through into 1/2 to 3/4" slices.
• Place the loaves on a lightly oiled (or non-stick) cookie sheet or baking pan and bake for 15 minutes at 390°F (200°C) 3 - 4 inches above the bottom of the oven.
• When ready the bottom should be golden and the top should be just starting to brown.
• Remove the loaves from the oven and cut all the way through the slices. Allow to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 200°-210°F (around 100°C).
• When thoroughly cooled, place all the slices upright in a very lightly oiled or non-stick baking sheet or roasting pan and bake at 200°-210°F (100°C) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until dry.

KOULOURAKIA (GREEK SESAME TWIST COOKIES)

Steps:

• Set oven to 350°F.
• Grease a cookie sheet/s.
• In a bowl using an electric mixer beat 1/2 cup butter, 6 tablespoons butter, oil and orange zest until very well blended (about 4 minutes).
• Add in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until blended (about 2 minutes).
• In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add into the creamed ingredients alternately with the orange juice.
• Divide the dough into six balls.
• Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into about a 15-inch long rope.
• Fold rope lengthwise in half.
• Twist folded rope 4-5 times.
• Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Brush the cookies with egg glaze and then sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool completely before storing.

GREEK HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add 2 eggs; beat well. Beat in orange juice and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., Roll dough into 1-1/4-in. balls. Shape each into a 6-in. rope; fold in half and twist twice. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , In a small bowl, beat the remaining 2 eggs; brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 7-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

SPECULOOS (A FLEMISH SPICE COOKIE)

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Cream brown sugar and butter together in a large bowl. Add the egg and beat until fluffy. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until combined.
• Divide the dough in two halves. Flatten each half and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease two baking sheets. Lightly flour a work surface and your rolling pin. Roll out each dough piece until very thin. Cut cookies with a cookie cutter, roll out remaining dough and cut again. Repeat with the second dough piece.
• Put cookies on the baking sheets and bake until the edges start to darken, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.