(Another very popular post, over the past five years of this blog, is our entry on red wine-based koulourakia (or "Greek cookies"). This entry was originally posted on April 16, 2014).
When we think about koulourakia (Greek rolled cookie), it is not often that we think about wine. However, with this recipe, we have both together. These are made from a simple recipe for koulourakia that is vegan and part of the liquid is red wine. It is the wine and the cinnamon that carry the flavour through these soft little bits of yummy.
Koulourakia with wine sounded rather odd when we first had them, but then, we thought about moustoukouloura, which are koulourakia made with the wine must or petimezi, a sweetener that Greeks have used since the Bronze ages. So, this recipe does not use the must, it uses the actual wine. And, in the end, the heavy wine flavour is lost. Instead, we had a lightly lingering hint of wine with a more pronounced taste of cinnamon. We thought they may be better named as spice koulourakia, but it is not our recipe. This recipe, in fact, came from one of our cookbooks, and we liked it enough to share it. These are great for the weekends when wine and oil are permitted. Or, they are good for other fasting times that are a little less strict than Great Lent.
We made only half a recipe, but are giving you the full amounts. You can make adjustments as needed.
For this recipe, you will need the following:
8 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups red wine
The directions are rather straightforward, so we will show you more in pictures than in words.
Start by mixing the dry ingredients together. Measure all the components into a bowl and mix them well. This includes the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. You will know they are mixed well when you no longer can differentiate between the individual ingredients and it all becomes consistent in colour.
In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients -- the oil and the wine. Okay, we know that oil and wine do not mix, but put them in the same bowl and mix to see the pretty patterns that the wine makes in the oil.
Then, pour the flour mixture into the oil mixture (add dry to wet) and mix until the dough is well blended. Remember, when working with flour, you don't want to mix too long because you don't want to build the gluten too much.
Once the dough is combined, allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Lay a towel or plastic wrap over the bowl to keep the moisture in the dough. And, while the dough rests, you can too!
After 30 minutes have passed, it is time to roll the koulourakia. These are a going to be a little thicker and larger than a typical, buttery koulouraki because they have more baking powder and leavening than the buttery version. Shaping the koulourakia will be the same basic steps.
Divide the dough into small nuggets that are about even in size. Roll each nugget into a log, about four inches in length (10 cm long). Then, twist the log to make the shape that you want. If you want to relate these to Easter, especially for children, you make one twist in the log and explain that you wanted to make the koulourakia the shape of a bunny head!
Lay the shaped koulourakia on a lined cookie sheet. You will notice that we usually use a silicone baking sheet liner, but parchment paper would work just fine here.
Bake the koulourakia at 375º F (190º C) for about 15 minutes, until they are very lightly browned. You should not see too much colour on these koulourakia because the pink hue of the wine and the brown tint of the cinnamon. And, the longer that you bake these, the more dry they become. We like our koulourakia to have a softer texture, so 15 minutes seemed like a perfect amount. Ovens may vary.
Allow the koulourakia to cool on the cookie sheet. You can serve these warm or room temperature. Husband particularly enjoys these when they are warm. They will store in an airtight container for 1 month without affecting the flavour or the texture. Enjoy them with friends and/or family because that is when any food is best!
ΛΕΧΟΥ (Behold the Bridegroom comes sung in
Greek. Sophia Manou and Katerina Lehoux).
Source of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhPEMhwWDaY
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