Irene's Sweet Koulourakia

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, plus 2 eggs, for glaze on top
• 2 tablespoons orange juice with no pulp
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 1/4 cups flour

Directions

All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter for 5 minutes in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar to the mixture and beat another 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs and beat until blended. Add the orange juice and the vanilla extract.

In a large bowl combine the baking powder and baking soda with about 1 cup of flour and stir in the egg mixture slowly. Add the remaining cups of flour gradually. The dough is ready when it leaves the sides of your mixing bowl completely. The dough is soft and pliable.

Using a Swedish meatball scoop, begin cutting balls out of the dough. Roll out the dough balls in long rope like portions, fold over in half and twist. Place the cookies on a greased baking pan.

Beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl to make the glaze. Brush the cookies on the pan with the glaze and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.