120Easter koulourakia

Method

Classic braided orange and vanilla Easter biscuits. Yields about 35 biscuits, perfect for morning coffee or afternoon tea.

You will need

• electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• baking sheets
• baking parchment
• pastry brush
• wire cooling rack

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. 2 min · 180°C / 350°F
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat 200g softened butter and 180g caster sugar with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until pale, light, and creamy. 5 min Ready when: fluffy, pale yellow mixture
3. Add the 3 eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition, then blend in 1.5 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp grated orange zest. 3 min Ready when: smooth, emulsified batter
4. Dissolve the 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda in the 50ml orange juice over the bowl (it will fizz) and stir it immediately into the wet mixture. 1 min Ready when: foaming juice incorporated cleanly
5. Sift the 550g flour and 2 tsp baking powder together, then gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing with your hands until a soft, pliable, and non-sticky dough forms. 4 min Ready when: smooth dough that does not stick to dry fingers
6. Take walnut-sized pieces of dough (about 25g to 30g), roll each into a thin rope about 18 cm long on a clean worktop, then fold in half and twist into a classic double braid or roll into an 'S' shape. 20 min Ready when: tight, neat braids arranged on the baking tray
7. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheets leaving 2 cm between each, and brush the tops thoroughly with the egg yolk and milk glaze. 3 min Ready when: glossy surface wash
8. Bake in the conventional oven at 180°C (350°F) for 18 to 20 minutes until shiny and rich golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 20 min · 180°C / 350°F Ready when: biscuits are crisp, firm underneath, and deep amber-gold on top

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Make ahead and storing

Can be baked days ahead and keeps exceptionally well in tins.

Store in a tightly sealed biscuit tin at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.

Substitutions

• ground mastic (Chios) for vanilla extract. Crush 2-3 mastic tears with a spoonful of sugar for a traditional resinous Smyrna-style aroma.

Common mistakes

• Adding excess flour to make shaping easier. Too much flour produces dry, chalky biscuits rather than delicate crisp biscuits that snap.
• Skipping the egg yolk glaze. Leaves the biscuits with a dull, matte crust instead of the traditional shiny, deep-golden bakery finish.

Regional variants

• Smyrna-style (Smyrneika) koulourakia typically include powdered Chios mastic or mahleb.
• Cretan Easter cookies often use olive oil and raki in place of butter.

About the dish

Koulourakia are traditional braided butter biscuits baked during Holy Week throughout Greece to break the Great Lent fast on Easter Sunday. Typically twisted into braids, coils, or figure-eights—ancient solar and fertility shapes—they are delicately crisp, lightly sweet, and scented with vanilla, fresh orange, or Chios mastic. Glazed with egg yolk to achieve a glossy golden crust, they are designed specifically to be dipped into Greek coffee or morning milk without immediately dissolving.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for easter, spring, everyday.

Cousins elsewhere

• Biscotti di Pasqua (Italian). Similar braided or twisted Easter biscuits glazed with egg and scented with citrus.
• Koulouria paschalina (Cypriot). Cypriot versions are braided similarly but frequently seasoned with mahleb, mastic, and sesame.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

129 kcal · protein 2.4 g · fat 5.4 g (saturated 3.2 g) · carbohydrate 17.5 g (sugars 5.4 g) · fibre 0.4 g · sodium 58 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following the classic mainland Holy Thursday home baking ritual..

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