Mama’s Braided Cookies (V) from Mazi

“Stocking up on homemade cookies is a must in any Greek household – essential for when a neighbour should call round unannounced for a ‘quick’ coffee. At MAZI, we bake these cookies on a constant basis to serve with our Greek coffee. Although this recipe makes a large quantity, the cookies are very light and airy – six people ate a whole batch over two days at the photoshoot – and easy to make. But you can easily halve the recipe if you want to make a smaller quantity.” Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré, authors of Mazi

500g (1lb 2oz) unsalted butter, softened

375g (13oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

500g (1lb 2oz) plain flour, plus an extra 70g (2.oz) if needed

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Line 4 large baking sheets with baking parchment.

Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until well blended. Then add the flour, a small amount at a time, and mix until well incorporated, adding the extra if needed, until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.

To make the cookies, take a small piece of dough and roll it into a 2.5cm (1 inch) ball and then roll this out to a length approximately 15cm (6 inches) long. For each cookie, fold the length in half then twist 2 times to form a twisted braid. Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets and bake in batches for about 12 minutes until golden.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and leave the cookies to cool completely on the sheets. Store in an airtight container – they should keep well for up to 1 month.