Traditional Cretan Citrus Cookies
In Crete, koulourakia — lightly scented with orange and lemon — are not reserved for holidays alone. They are everyday cookies, closely tied to home baking and the rhythm of family life. Citrus trees often grow just outside the house, in the courtyard or garden, and their fragrance naturally finds its way into simple sweets like these.
What makes this recipe especially meaningful, however, is not only its flavour but the verses that accompany it. The mantinades mentioned in the original text are an inseparable part of Cretan domestic culture: short, rhyming couplets that express memory, affection, humour, or advice. They are often spoken casually while cooking, passed down alongside recipes, and remembered as vividly as the dishes themselves.
Here, the koulourakia are linked to such verses — not as decoration, but as living speech. They reflect a way of sharing food and words together, where baking becomes an occasion for storytelling and poetry. The old handwritten recipe, with its imprecise measures and oral instructions, belongs to the same world: one where knowledge is transmitted through voice, memory, and presence.
As with many traditional recipes presented on the original Cretan Gastronomy site, this one carries more than technique. It preserves a fragment of everyday life — where flavours, verses, and family voices coexist and continue to be passed on.
Ingredients
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250 ml olive oil
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300 g sugar
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150 ml orange juice
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75 ml lemon juice
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75 ml raki (or another clear spirit)
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½ tsp cinnamon
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1 tsp orange or lemon zest
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1½ tsp ammonia (baking ammonia)
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1½ tsp baking powder
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About 850 g all-purpose flour
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Sesame seeds (hulled or unhulled)
(The measuring teaspoon used is 5 ml)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, raki, cinnamon, and citrus zest. Stir to blend well.
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Add the ammonia and baking powder to the mixture. Gradually add the flour, mixing until you get a soft, pliable dough — firm but still easy to shape.
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Shape the dough into small cookie rings or twists. Dip them in sesame seeds so they stick well.
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Place the shaped cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly oiled.
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Bake in a preheated oven — for about 20 minutes if you want them pale, or 5–6 minutes longer for a deeper golden color. Oven times may vary, so watch carefully.
This recipe makes roughly 70 medium-sized cookies — or close to 100 if you make them small and dainty.
Notes
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The dough should be soft and easy to work, not stiff; if it feels sticky after resting, add a spoonful or two more flour.
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To help the sesame seeds adhere, rinse and drain them, spread them on a cotton towel, and mix with about a teaspoon of sugar.
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Baking time depends on how you prefer your cookies — lighter and more tender, or slightly darker and crispier.
Enjoy Them With
Serve these fragrant citrus cookies with a cup of Greek coffee or a glass of rakomelo (raki with honey) to complete the traditional Cretan experience.
Original Greek article, photographs, and full narrative available at
CretanGastronomy:
https://www.cretangastronomy.gr/2019/05/koulourakia-portokaliou-lemoniou/
