Koulourakia -Together in the Kitchen

We all know how great the Mediterranean diet is for your waist and your palate, so come join Mary and Maria in their new segment “Together in the Kitchen”.

Every month, Mary and Maria will share delicious Mediterranean inspired dishes and provide healthy nutritional tips and suggestions.

You can see their videos on their Instagram pages, as well as on Greek City Times’ Instagram page and YouTube channel.

In their latest Easter special video, Mary shows us how to make koulourakia, a traditional Easter cookie.

Maria shares nutritional facts about the ingredients and gives alternative ingredients for those wishing to make an ultra-healthy version of koulourakia.

Ingredients

Yields 40-50 koulourakia

• 500g room temp unsalted butter*
• 7 cups plain flour
• 4 egg
• 2 cups caster sugar**
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Zest of 3 oranges
• 1/2 tsp ground mastica

Egg wash: combination of eggs and milk whisked together

For healthier option

• *2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• **replace with 1 cup coconut or date sugar

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar with your wooden spoon or stand mixer until nice and fluffy or pale in colour.
2. Add the eggs beat very well until combined.
3. Add 1 cup of flour into the butter and sugar mixture and incorporate well.
4. In a separate glass or bowl, combine orange juice, zest, vanilla, mastica, baking powder and soda.
5. Stir well until it fizzes, pouring it into your bowl.
6. Stir to combine then add the remainder of the flour mixing well until a soft dough forms. The dough will seem sticky in the bowl but is workable in your hands.
7. Allow the dough to rest for 30 mins covered in glad wrap before creating different shapes.
8. Preheat your oven to 170C.
9. Use a heaped tablespoon of dough to roll out your shapes.
10. Once they have been formed, brush with egg wash.
11. Bake at 170C fan forced for approx. 20mins or until golden.

Be mindful of the thickness of your shapes. Thin koulorakia cook quicker and will likely dry out whilst they bake. The goal is for them to be soft in the centre.

About

*Mary (marys_kouzina) lives in Sydney Australia. She is a high school teacher and artist who loves cooking. She believes in preserving cultural tradition and home style cooking. She loves making dishes she grew up eating and aims to create dishes that bring forth that nostalgia.

*Maria (wewelltogether) is a certified health coach living in Montreal, Canada. She earned her certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, the largest globally renowned nutrition school in the world. She is an advocate for clean eating, especially for children, and how to live a healthy lifestyle.