Name: Saffron, Allspice and Pepper Biscuits (Kitrina Koulouria Astypalitika)
Yield: Makes about 56 biscuits
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: ½–1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper; ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt; 1 large egg; ½ cup half-and-half; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), softened; ¼ cup olive oil or safflower oil; ⅔ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled; 1 cup thick sheep’s milk yogurt or Drained Yogurt; ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ½ cup milk; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; 3 tablespoons honey, preferably thyme honey; 3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

Preparation info

Makes about
56
biscuits

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Foods of the Greek Islands

By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 2000

About

EVER SINCE I tasted these bright yellow biscuits in a bakery in Astypalaia about fifteen years ago, I’ve been addicted to their slightly peppery taste and crunchy texture. When I first sampled them, I was startled by their lightness. The circles were fragrant with allspice, nutmeg and another aroma that I couldn’t make out. The baker told me it was saffron that the women of the island collected from the hills each November, especially for these Easter cookies. The fat in the yeasted dough w