Melomakarona Yemista me Sousami Melomakarona (also called “phoenikia”) are a traditional Greek cookie, a favorite at Christmas. Most recipes call for the cookie to be dipped in a honey-based syrup, but this recipe calls for a powdered sugar, nut, and spice topping. Since they have no syrup, they can be easily stored in tins or plastic […]

A “kouloura” (koo-LOU-rah) in Greek is a round twist. The name for these traditional butter cookies comes from their round twisted shape but you will also see Koulourakia as small braids or in the shape of the letter “S.” Koulourakia are delicious dunked in coffee or milk and are the traditional Easter cookie. Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook […]

Greece is known for its olive oil – and for fabulous sweets (among other things) -and the tradition of sweets made with olive oil is centuries old. You really don’t have to be paying much attention to the worldwide discussion going on about trans, saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats in order to love these Greek cookies made with olive oil – […]

A “kouloura” (koo-LOU-rah) in Greek is a round twist. The name for these traditional butter cookies comes from their round twisted shape but you will also see Koulourakia as small braids or in the shape of the letter “S.” Koulourakia are delicious dunked in coffee or milk and are the traditional Easter cookie. Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook […]

Recipes for Greek cookies include delicious voutimata (biscotti dunking cookies), sugary holiday confections, and those made with fabulous combinations of spices and nuts. Koulourakia – Greek Butter Cookies with Sesame The name for Koulourakia comes from their round twisted shape but you will also see them shaped as small braids or in the shape of the letter […]

MELOMAKARONA ME ELAIOLATHO This is one Peloponnesian version of a traditional Christmas cookie. The region’s telltale ingredient, olive oil, replaces butter in this recipe. Sometimes, Greek cooks will do that—replace butter with oil, that is—to transform a sweet into something permissable for fasting. In the Peloponnesos, though, the use of olive oil is the norm rather than the exception. Ingredients: For […]

KOURAMBIETHES ME ELAIOLATHO APO TO LEVITHI Makes about 72 shortbread cookies Ingredients: 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup ouzo 1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup finely chopped walnuts Grated zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, […]

Melomakarona Yemista me Sousami In Greek, these honey spice cookies with sesame centers might be called “Stuffed Melomakarona with Sesame” or “Melomakarona from Rhodes,” where they have become famous. A winter holiday tradition (but delightful any time of year), these cookies bring in seasonal tastes and smells of cinnamon, cloves, and oranges. After baking, the […]

Kourabiethes me Karythia In Greek: κουραμπιέδες με καρύδια, say: koo-rahb-YEH-thes meh kah-REETH-yah Kourabiethes (also kourambiedes) are sugared shortbread cookies made with nuts. In Greece,kourabiethes are served at special occasions and given as host/hostess gifts. This version calls for walnuts (or hazelnuts). Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of shortening 1 cup of confectioner’s […]

Kourabiethes Nistisimoi In Greek: κουραμπιέδες νηστίσιμες, pronounced koo-rahm-bee-YEH-thes nee-STEE-see-mes Adapting recipes to meet Greek dietary restrictions during Lent and other periods of “fasting” (as they are called in Greek) doesn’t mean giving up taste and texture. And it doesn’t mean not eating delicious foods. Kourabiethes, sugared shortbread cookies, are favorites at the holidays made with butter and […]