lemon poppy seed koulourakia
I love the fresh, zesty taste of lemon! It goes so well with the buttery richness of the Koulourakia. In my take on the classic Koulourakia I sprinkeled the top with poppy seeds that seem to have a natural affinity with lemon and add a crunchy bite to this cookie.
Lemon poppyseed koulourakia
(makes about 20 cookies)
225 grams butter
550 grams flour + extra for dusting
125 grams sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
grated rind of 1 lemon
100 milliliter lemon juice
1 egg for brushing
poppy seeds for scattering on top
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Melt the butter and leave to cool slightly. Mix the flour with the sugar and the baking powder. Break the eggs in the middle of the flour mixture, add the lemon rind and pour in the lemon juice. Start stirring and, while stirring, add the melted butter little by little. When all the butter is added, start kneading with your hands. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If the dough is to dry, add some more lemon juice. If it is to sticky, add some more flour. Beat the egg in a cup with a teaspoon of water.
Lightly dust your workspace with flour. Take a piece of dough large enough to roll a rope about 12 cm long and 1/2 cm wide. Pick up the dough in the middle and pinch the ends together. Twist in the middle first and then again 2 or 3 times. (check my recipe for classic koulourakia for pics)Form the twist into a circle and pinch the ends together. Place on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper and brush with the egg mixture. Scatter some poppy seeds over the cookies and bake 15-20 minutes in the middle of the oven until golden.
This post is also available in: Dutch
