Thessaloniki Koulourakia Paschalina (Κουλουράκια Πασχαλινά)

Thessaloniki koulourakia paschalina are the braided butter cookies of Holy Thursday, the ones that sit beside red eggs and tsoureki until the Easter table is ready. In Macedonia they are small and ridged from the twist, egg-brushed to a deep shine, scented with orange zest and vanilla, with enough butter to make the crumb tender but not cakey.

The whole tray is decided by the dough. Add the flour slowly and stop when it feels soft, smooth, and no longer sticky; if you chase a firm dough, the cookies bake hard and dry. Let it rest twenty minutes, then roll short ropes and twist them lightly. No squeezing. A koulouraki should hold its shape without fighting your teeth.

I use baker's ammonia here because that is what the old Thessaloniki notebooks keep asking for, and the sharp smell while they bake disappears as the cookies cool. My grandmother Despina kept them in a tin above the coffee cups, not hidden well enough. A recipe written down is a recipe saved, but this one is still very much eaten.