Sesame Koulourakia (biscuits)

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 12 ounces butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm (8 oz)
• 2 teaspoons baking ammonia
• 2 lbs flour, sifted, and a bit extra
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sesame seeds (315 gr = 12 oz)

Recipe

• 1 cream butter with sugar until fluffy and quite pale-coloured (about 5-6 minutes). add the eggs, one at a time. dissolve baking ammonia in the milk and add milk to the butter/egg mixture.
• 2 add the flour, baking powder and vanilla and mix until you have a pliable dough that doesn't stick to the sides of the mixing bowl (you may need to add a bit more flour as this recipe is from metric and actually calls for a kilo of flour which equals 2.2 lbs).
• 3 shape the dough into whatever shapes you desire. in greece, we shape it into rings, snails, ss, braids - you are only limited by your imagination. do try to keep the shape down to a size that will comfortably fit into your coffee cup for dunking though - and remember - they'll puff up in baking. brush shapes with water and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. place on greased cookie sheets, or parchment-lined cookie sheets, or silpat.
• 4 bake in a preheated 375f (180c) oven for 15-20 moinutes, or until golden-brown.
• 5 store in an airtight container.
• 6 note: if you can find a 'soft' flour, suited for pastry-making, you'll have a more authentic koulouraki.