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

Poppy

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Holy Week

St. Irene, the little church that stands next to our home, high above the Cretan sea.

Hello dear readers, it's Holy Week here in Greece, a peaceful and quiet time, when the Greek Orthodox Church relives the last days of Jesus' life, beginning Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday.

Allium Subhirsutum dot the perimeter of an old Olive tree, softening its rugged, claw-like trunk.

Days are spent cleaning and preparing 

our home for the celebratory feast.

A close up of Allium Subhirsutum, commonly known as Hairy Garlic.

Church services in the evenings, bring people

together in prayer and unity, at this most 

solemn time, days before Christ is crucified.

The hilly meadow behind our home. A petaled path strikes one's curiosity to follow it.

We follow Him to His death on the cross, and mourn at His 
funeral, in the Service of Lamentations, on Good Friday.

Fresh beginnings are evident all around the village. Here, new vine leaves bask in the midday sun.

Then, alas, at the stroke of midnight, on Holy Saturday, 

we rejoice, 'Christos Anesti!' (Christ is Risen!), as our

 hearts are filled with the joy and hope of His rebirth.

For a more detailed account of Greek Orthodox Easter,

please visit my first post, here. To my friends who 

celebrate, wishing you a most blessed Easter.

xo

Poppy 

Shelf Life

Hello, everyone, Happy April!

Can you guess what I've been doing?

Yup, taking more pics of wildflowers, but

this time, I thought I'd bring some home

 to create a cheery, spring vignette.

 

I needed to sweeten the kitchen,

with something other than the aroma of baked goodies

- my cozy, wintry pastime that packed on a few pounds!

 Voilà! A fresh buffet of eye candy, 

pretty and completely calorie free!

I simply cannot get enough of these daisies. They're my

 custom concoction of Vitamin C, (that's 'c' for Cuties),

but these lovelies are also a by-product of Vitamin D - 

sunny skies, that in turn, encourage aerobic exercise.

The effect on my physique is not yet evident; for that, I'll

 have to wait, unlike the instant results on my kitchen shelf,

 where rows and rows of springtime petals managed to

lighten my spirit and plant a warm smile on my face.

 Now that winter's technically over, 

what melts your heart about spring?

Thanks for visiting!

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Poppy 

Sharing at:

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