Friday, May 3, 2013

Maro's Easter Cookies...Koulourakia

(video to follow soon as I can get it edited...)
It's Big Friday and everything is ready to celebrate Big Fat Greek Easter in two days.  The red eggs are shining in their baskets, the candles for the Saturday night vigil are decorated, the lamb is ready for the spit and the Koulourakia (Easter cookies) have been braided and baked.  Everyone is waiting for midnight Saturday night when the fasting is over.  Everyone will return home after the midnight candle service to cries of "Christ is Risen!", to eat gut soup and start in on the koulourakia!     Anna , my daughter, and Maro and I  made a washtub of cookies!  As we were rolling the dough,it was quite a challenge not to nibble on the butter/ouzo/.lemon batter!!!   I haven't had sugar for 6 weeks,  so thank God we made such a  great batch..and alot of great memories!  Having Anna and Maro in the kitchen is almost as much fun as cooking with Yannis, but not quite as entertaining!!! Kalo Pascha!!!!
That awkard moment when you can't get your koulouri out of your mug
Koulourakia
1 1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs
1/3 cup ouzo
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 teas. vanilla
1 T. ammonia
1 teas. baking soda
10 cups flour

Beat butter (room temperature), with the sugar till light; and the beaten eggs and mix untill white and frothy.  Add the Soda diluted in the lemon juice, then the ammonia stirred into the ouzo.  Stir in the vanilla and the flour, mixing until the batter will not take any more flour.  Roll into desired shapes, placing on a cookie sheet , well spaced as they expand. Brush with 2 beaten egg yolks and 1 egg white and bake at 380f./180C. for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  This is half of the original recipe and it makes quite a big batch, so sit down and enjoy the rolling with some good coffee and some good company!!!

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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 5, 2013 at 3:12 AM

    Sounds like a blog where people around the world will be able to read about -- see and hear -- first-hand experiences of the distinctively Greek way of celebrating the Easter holidays. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing what (for some of us) may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm excited to learn all I can about modern-day Greece, Greek culture, and Greek people celebrating life in ways that are extraordinary, joyous and completely peculiar to Greece.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 5, 2013 at 6:27 AM

      Thanks Rodger, I'm glad you feel that way, hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy putting it together!

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  2. AnonymousMay 5, 2013 at 10:39 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. AnonymousMay 5, 2013 at 10:50 AM

    I'm already enjoying reading it. I love the photo of the acrobat (supposedly) trying to get a chunk of a sesame seed bagel/snack dropped into her coffee mug, and the coded wisecrack only Greeks will likely be able to wholly appreciate.

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