Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Greek Lemon Cookies


Every so often, Liberty and I like to bake up a batch of various cookies. In the winter, we prefer oatmeal or chocolate chip, but come spring, it's always our Greek lemon cookies that we bake on Holy Thursday, as they are a traditional, Easter treat. 

 

Having said that, they are to Greeks what biscotti are to Italians, and as such, can be enjoyed whenever one craves a substantial citrus cookie, as they are denser in texture, but very moist, with a full bodied lemon-y aroma and taste.


And this year, they were extra special, since they were infused with the fresh, citrus-y scent that came from lemons growing on the one and only lemon tree in our veggie garden. Here's the recipe that I found in 'Dolce', a Greek gourmet magazine. It's super easy! 


Greek Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:
500 grams all purpose flour
200 grams sugar
100 grams butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
zest from two lemons
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg + 2 Tbsp. water for egg wash

Directions:

1.  Cream the butter and sugar 
so that it becomes light and fluffy.

2.  Add the eggs, one by one, beating after each, 
then, the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest.

3.  Lower the speed on the mixer and add the 
flour in portions, folding it in after each addition.

4.  On a cold counter, start to knead the dough until 
it doesn't stick to your fingers. You might need
 to add more flour (I find that I always do, 
but be careful, as the more flour you add,
 the more it takes away from the lemon
the vanilla and the sugar).

5.  Shape the dough into strips, 15 cm long and the width of your finger.

6.  Roll them into a pinwheel or whatever shape you like. 

7.  Transfer to cookie sheet and  brush with egg wash. 

8.  Bake in a preheated oven for 18 - 20 minutes 
at 180 C/(350 F). Makes about 1 kilo.


These Greek lemon cookies are  perfect with that first cup of morning coffee, or tea in the afternoon. If you like your cookies crunchy, then store them in a cookie tin.  Otherwise, keep them in an air tight container, if you prefer a softer cookie. I hope you give them a try; they're fun to make and are scrumptious!


 Have you done any baking, lately?

Thanks for visiting!

xx


37 comments:

  1. Hello Poppy,
    Those Lemon Cookies sound delicious. How nice it must be to have Liberty bake along side. i could use one now with my bedtime cuppa.
    I like that the recipe is not complicated. I hope you had a wonderful Easter

    Helen xx

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  2. I'm printing out the recipe for these luscious cookies, Poppy! I do love lemon so much and making them will remind me of you and Liberty baking together.

    Your lemon tree is gorgeous! I bet you use the leaves in decorating sometime, don't you?

    How nice it must be to step outside and pick a fresh lemon!

    What have I baked lately? Nothing. RH has been hinting that it's been too long since I did. He added a few notes to my to-do list the other day: "Make a coconut pie, feed the chickens and the pigs." I added my own note: "The pig ate the pie."

    Ha!

    Love you, my citrus loving friend,
    Dewena

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  3. Hello dear Poppy, I love lemon and I bet these are really good. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  4. "the pig ate the pie!" oh dewena! LOLOL!!!
    oh to have your very own lemon tree. magical. at least to me!
    i suppose i could move to california or florida and have that wonderful experience. crete would be even better!!!
    there is something about lemon flavor and coffee. what a combination.
    i never tire of it. thank you for sharing your delicious tradition! XOXO♥

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  5. I always have lemons in the house. I like everything greek, so lemon greek cookies are not an exception.
    Your recipe looks simple and delicious.The lemon tree in your garden looks awsome.

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  6. Oh, I love lemon flavoured cookies, especially in the spring and summer. These sound delicious, Poppy. For Easter I baked our traditional Paska - a citrus bread from my Russian Mennonite roots. It was delicious!

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  7. I would love these cookies. Thanks so much for the recipe. I don't bake much anymore for just me. Usually at Christmas time I bake a lot. I have a Myers Lemon tree and it has lots of blooms on it - hope I get lots of lemons.

    Have a wonderful week. Will send email soon telling you whats going on in my crazy world.

    Hugs dear friend,
    Mary

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  8. Yum! I should give these a try since I love things made with lemon!

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  9. Poppy I have been looking for a good recipe to try as I have lots of lemons too! This one looks great. Do you add any baking powder or does the dough rise because of the eggs?

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    1. Hi Mary,

      Χριστός Aνέστη και Χρόνια Πολλά!

      No, baking powder, just as the recipe says. Yes, they rise because of the 3 eggs, and don't forget - they're cookies, not cake.

      Let me know how they turn out!:)

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  10. Oh what happiness in the sweet lemon tree! It just makes me smile:)) The cookies sound so good. thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful week my friend!

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  11. I am in the library doing a little work and now my stomach is rumbling at the sight of your cookies!! ;) I want to run home right now and make them. And eat them!

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  12. Oh YUM...these look so very scrumptious! And to have a lemon tree in my yard...would that just be the best thing! Hmmm...let me think what the last thing I baked was...oh yeah...a black raspberry pie last Saturday. :D Have a blessed remainder of the week!

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  13. Hmmmmm... I can smell the aroma of lemon.... so scrumptious by just looking and I´m craving for them right now...
    I think I will try your recipe... Weekend is coming up, do enjoy it dear Poppy!

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  14. As soon as I read that they are like Italian biscotti, you had me! I just love anything baked with lemon so these are a special treat to try. Thanks for the recipe!

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  15. Looks delicious, I am absolutely gonna try it :) Thanks for sharing Poppy! Greetings..

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  16. I just baked fresh lemon, lemon cookies, too! And a lemon cake!! When in Greece in the spring there is no better things to make than those using fresh lemons!

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  17. Hello Poppy, oh I bet those lemon cookies taste delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us. Take care and enjoy the week.
    Julie

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  18. I had to pin those, especially with the large amount of lemons that my neighbor keeps giving me. Thank you, Poppy! :)

    xo,
    rue

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  19. It's so good to cook with lemons and extra special if you can use home grown ones!

    All the best Jan

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  20. I bet they taste even better when made with lemons from the garden!

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  21. Oh so nice! Look´s just great...no baking here, I haven´t got the time right now!
    Have a happy weekend, take care.
    Titti

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  22. Thank you for the recipe! I love lemon cookies of any sort, and would like to try an authentic Greek cookie. I have one little lemon tree, a baby. It has eight fruits on it this year, and I haven't used one yet!

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  23. I adore lemons! This is a very easy recipe so I will give a try the soonest possible... oh these photos of yours. So many colors!!! Love them all, happy weekend my dear Poppy :)

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  24. I'll be keeping this recipe. Thank you.

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  25. Beautiful captures of the fresh lemons and your recipe sounds and looks wonderful. I have just copied it to my saves. I am a wee bit confused as I have your blog always on my scroll bar and it shows you have not posted in 3 months and yet if I come to your blog you have. That may be why I missed a couple once you began posting again. Not sure what changed and not sure what I need to do to get it current. Hugs

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  26. Oh, Poppy! To have fresh lemons in a tree in my backyard - I cannot even imagine how wonderful they'd be - fresh and delicious.

    Ty for sharing that recipe! It sounds (and looks) so delish! : - )

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  27. How wonderful to have a lemon tree!

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  28. These look and sound sincerely delicious, Poppy! Thank you for the recipe!

    Jane x

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  29. These sound unlike any cookies I have made, and I make a LOT of cookies!... and they sound delicious. :)

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  30. These sound wonderful! We are packed with lemons in the winter and I will be giving them a try. I pinned them to my LEMONS board :) Thanks for sharing with us Poppy!

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  31. I saved this recipe Poppy I just need to figure out or convert the grams. I will google it.. I am making them very soon!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for sharing...

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  32. What a lovely sunshiny post. I've never seen a lemon-tree. They are beautiful. Can't wait to try these yummy looking treats, close my eyes as I eat them and visualize a Greece-flavored landscape:)
    thank-you!

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  33. These look wonderful, Poppy. I like everything with lemon.
    Amalia
    xo

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  34. Did someone say LEMON?! Love, love, love.
    Yes, I've enjoyed some baking lately ...lemon bars last week and French bread Sunday. Next is Greek lemon cookies. ;)
    Always fun visiting with you, Poppy. I don't always comment but I love to browse through your bright and colorful page.
    xoxo

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  35. These look fabulous Poppy! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I really appreciate hearing from all of you! Have a great day!