Koulourakia with orange are a Greek vegan cookie, perfect for dunking!
Our parents make so many types of koulourakia (Greek for cookies that are great for dunking into coffee or milk) that it is almost hard to keep track of them all. To help differentiate one koulouraki from the other, they often refer to a key ingredient. So here, we present to you koulourakia with orange…because, you guessed it, they contain a fair bit of orange juice. They also often refer to different koulourakia by the person who prefers them over all others. So these, along with being koulourakia with orange, are also affectionately referred to as “Georgia’s favourite”.
This recipe was revised October 2021, to make it even more delicious!
Another lovely peculiarity of these particular koulourakia is that they are perfectly vegan. This makes them ideal for a mid-morning snack, an afternoon sweet break, or an after supper dessert during periods of lent…or if you are vegan. They are sweet, crunchy, and hardy enough to withstand repeated dunking in a lovely cup of Greek coffee, mountain tea or milk. It’s no wonder Georgia loves them; we’re pretty sure you will too.
Helpful hints
There are no complicated techniques in this recipe, no unusual ingredients. What you will notice is that the dough is a bit oily – this is perfect because the dough holds together well. The resultant cookies however are not greasy at all; they are perfectly delicious.
You will know that your dough is ready to be shaped into cookies when you can easily make a ball which holds its shape in your hand, and the dough does not crumble when you roll it into a log. The dough will feel soft in your hands, almost velvety and fluffy.
You can choose to use sesame seeds, or not. Our parents usually make 1/2 the cookies with the sesame seeds and the rest without. It is totally up to you. In order to coat the koulourakia with sesame, follow the directions in the recipe below. It’s super easy.
Our parents always make this particular koulouraki in the shape pictured. You of course, can shape them any way you like. You can make circles, braids, straight koulourakia…it is up to you! But, try to keep them all about the same size, so that they cook evenly.
If you do not want to include the ouzo in your recipe (perhaps someone drank it all), you can replace it with equal amounts of additional orange juice.
Looking for some more cookie recipes? How about these?
We love hearing from you! If you have made our recipes, or if you have a question or comment, or simply want to say Hi!, please leave a comment and star rating below! Also be sure to follow along with us, on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. We have lots of fun over there.
This post may contain some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Koulourakia with orange
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 cups vegetable oil we use Mazola corn oil
- 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup ouzo or cognac see notes
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder heaping; see notes for substitution
- 1,350 grams sifted, all-purpose flour (9 cups approx)
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using a mixer, beat together the sugar, and oil for 5 minutes. Add the orange juice, and mix for another couple of minutes (if you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand held mixer will do nicely).
- Add in the ouzo and mix again, for a minute or so. (If you're using liquid vanilla, add 2 teaspoons in this step)
- Add two cups of your sifted flour to your mixing bowl, and with your bread hook attachment, mix to combine. Add the baking powder and vanilla powder. Mix well.
- Remove 1/2 cup of your measured sifted flour and keep aside. You probably won't need it.
- Continue to add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternatively, at this point, if you choose, you can use your hands to knead the dough.
- The dough should be soft and almost pillowy, but should hold its shape and be easy to roll. Watch video here. You want to avoid adding in too much flour. You want to get to the point just where the dough is pulling away from the side of the mixing bowl, as it's mixing. As soon as you have about 2 cups of flour left, add it slowly. As soon as you see the dough pulling away from the side, it's done. Watch video here. If you're not sure, don't add the extra flour you set aside. Let the dough rest for about 10-20 minutes. Here's another video.
- Take about 1 tablespoon (32 grams) of dough and make a log. Keep in mind, that the dough will feel oily..this is ok. It's a greasy dough. Then, create a thin “S” shape. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in middle rack of oven for about 25 minutes, turning halfway.
- If you are going to use the sesame seeds, spread some of them on the counter or cutting board (wherever you will be rolling your koulourakia). Roll out your dough and create your log on top of the sesame seeds; this way they will get embedded in the dough. Continue as above: Create an “S” shape. Try not to let the ends of the cookie become too thin, because they will burn during baking. Place on parchment lined paper and bake in middle rack of oven for about 25 minutes. Here's a video of our mom shaping them.
- When the koulourakia are golden brown on the underside, and puffy and golden on top, they are ready.
- Allow them to rest for about a minute and then remove from the cookie sheet and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- Enjoy, alone or with a nice cup of coffee!
Leave a Reply