Myth of the Greek cookie

During the course of my childhood, my mother's Greek cookies were connected with every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas menu, particularly during breakfast — and washed down with orange juice. Today, not much has changed, except that my sisters and I have families and homes of our own. We no longer watch my mother braiding and baking the cookies, and we don't smell them as they bake. We do, however, still get the cookies. And plenty of them.

Each holiday, my mother arrives holding an oversized tray of her traditional cookies. In fact, each member of my family has become accustomed to eating one before they're placed on the holiday table. Before she can take her coat off, the tray is uncovered, emitting an aroma that floods our senses with memories of our youth.

Two Christmases ago, my sisters and I convinced my mother it was time to hand down her 43-year-old secret recipe. Both of my sisters tried unsuccessfully in duplicating the braiding technique of these traditional cookies, but to the amazement of my family — and myself — I was able to successfully recreate her recipe.

Just to let you know, there are many variations of the Greek cookie. Over the summer I spent in Europe, I visited Greece and found cookies that looked like my mother's. They were braided with sesame seeds, although shaped in a circle instead of a log (see photo above). I bought one on a street corner in downtown Athens, and when I took my first bite, I realized that although they tasted similar to my mother's, they had a different texture. Upon calling my mother — collect from Greece — she insisted that I find out the exact name of the cookie so that she could compare recipes.

When I returned from Greece, I sat down with my mother and asked her to explain herself in regard to her traditional cookies. She explained that she liked her recipe, as opposed to Koulouria, which is a bread ring — not really a cookie.

In the spirit of sharing and spilling secrets, I'd like to pass along my mother's traditional Greek Butter Cookie recipe.

Today, my mother continues to bake her three batches of Greek cookies for each holiday so that each of our families can take some home — but now there are no more secrets.

GREEK BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup butter
1-½ cups sugar
3 eggs
½ cup orange juice
Sesame seeds
6 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
Cream butter. Add sugar gradually. Add eggs one at a time, alternately with orange juice. Add flour that has been sifted with soda and baking powder, a little bit at a time. Should be a soft dough. Shape as desired and brush with egg and milk mixture. The traditional Greek Cookie is two small strands of dough twisted together, brushed with egg and milk mix and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Bake on greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.