Koularakia {Lemon Greek Easter Cookies}

Name: Koularakia {Lemon Greek Easter Cookies}
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 4 eggs; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup shortening; 2 whole lemons, zested,; Juice from two lemons; 5 cups flour; 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 3 tablespoon milk; 1/4 cup Domino sugar for sprinkling

March 12, 2014 by Tanya Schroeder · 37 Comments · Last updated: December 18, 2021

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Koularakia are sweet little cookies, just in time for Easter!

Rich, buttery Greek cookies with a hint of fresh lemon! Koularakia are perfect for dunking into your coffee or tea!

They are hands down my favorite! They are not very sweet cookies and their flavor reminds me of a biscotti, except that they are more buttery and softer than a biscotti. I added a lemon to mine to freshen them up. Just a touch of citrus can take an ordinary cookie and make it taste out of this world! I added a milk wash and sprinkled my cookies with the sugar. The sugar crystals melt right into the milk; giving the cookie the right amount of sweetness in each bite.

What is Koularakia?

The greek butter cookies koulourakia (or koularakia) are traditional Greek easter cookies/pastries hand shaped into twirls and brushed with an egg glaze on top for a nice golden color. They have a sweet yet delicate flavor often enhanced with a citrus zest. We’re switching things up a bit here to make these cookies a little more like the ones that I remember growing up with.

Ingredients

Eggs
Granulated sugar
Softened butter
Shortening
Lemon zest
Lemon juice
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Milk
Domino sugar

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Lemon Greek Easter Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl.
Add in the eggs and granulated sugar and continue to mix at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 10 minutes.
Add in the lemon zest and juice.
Carefully add in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. not that your batter will be thick.
Work with a small piece of dough at a time and roll the dough into strips that are about 5 inches long and 1/2 an inch thick.
Make a “U” shape with the dough strip and criss-cross the sides over one another until it’s twisted to look like a rope.
Arrange the cookies onto a lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the cookies with milk and then sprinkle them with a pinch of the Dominos sugar.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until slightly browned.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before eating.

FAQs

How do you pronounce Koulourakia?

You can pronounce the name of these cookies like this (Ku-LU-ra-KA) That name translates to “little koulouria.” In Greek, the word koulouria means “loop” or “round twist” which is indefinable with the shape of this cookie pastry and could be how the cookies originally received their name.

How long can you keep Koulourakia?

You can keep these Greek braided cookies for up to a week and a half if kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature. This should give you plenty of time to enjoy them to yourself or share with friends and family. It also gives you plenty of time to make them in advance of a party or celebration.

Why does my Koulourakia crack?

This koulourakia cookie recipe can sometimes be a bit tricky. If your dough is too dry the braid in the cookie may begin to crack. While you want the dough to be dry enough to handle, if you roll the dough out too much, meaning, if you overhandle it, you can cause it to crack and break, making the assembly a bit of a challenge.

For more seasonal fun recipes, check out my Favorite Recipes for Easter, like this Easter Charcuterie Platter.

Yield: 6 dozen