Greek Easter biscuits

Blend the butter with the sugar at medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes so that the sugar is completely melted until a homogeneous and mellow mixture is obtained.

Add the eggs one by one in the butter and sugar, mixing well, then add the orange zest and the Mastiha liqueur.

In a glass, mix the baking soda with the orange juice, which will allow to activate it, then add the mixture to the preparation.

Sift the flour and stir it in, being careful not to over-knead as the cookie dough hardens quickly. The dough must be soft and creamy, and elastic enough to be easily folded without opening and overflowing the mold.

Let stand by covering with a towel for 15 minutes.

Prepare three shallow plates with non-stick greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 160 ° C. To cook several plates at the same time, you will have to alternate the position of each one in the oven in order to obtain an even cooking.

Cut dough pieces about 25 to 30 grams. For each piece, make strings of 20 to 25 cm long. Fold each of them three times and pinch the edges to keep the traditional shape of the smirneikou (see photo) that looks like a boat. When you place them on the plate, be careful not to stick them too much so that they do not stick to each other.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar and water using a fork. With a brush, coat all cookies so that they shine and color when cooked.

Leave in the oven for about 30 minutes so that Koulourakia are golden brown and cooked inside. Then let them stand for 5 minutes.