Easter baking - Greek yoghurt sugar cookies

Red dyed eggs, assorted shaped cookies and syrup soaked cake combined with church, candles and family make up the ingredients of my perfect Easter.

Growing up Easter was about fasting (no meat for a few weeks, I could never do 40 days, a few of those days no diary and then even fewer days of no olive oil) going to church and red egg fights.

There would be red egg shells found around the house for days after our egg wars, which involves hitting the end of each other’s egg until one cracks. From there the person with the clean egg tries to crack the other end of the opponent’s egg. This continues until one person is victorious and their egg is left unscathed – giving them good luck for the year.

Then to top our Easter off, we exchange plates of cookies and cakes among family and every year I love adding something new and interesting to my plates.

This year I wanted to produce something bright – so a yoghurt sugar cookie iced with royal icing was the obvious choice.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• dash vanilla essence
• royal icing (use the recipe that suits you or buy it)

Method:

• Cream the butter and sugar
• Add the egg, yoghurt, salt and vanilla
• Sift in the flour and mix until a dough forms
• Wrap up dough and place in the fridge for one hour
• Pre-heat oven to 220 C fan-forced
• Roll out the dough to approximately 1/2 cm and use a cookie cutter – the dough is sticky so roll it out between greased baking paper to avoid it sticking to the board and place the baking paper straight onto the baking tray
• Cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until they start to brown
• Have some fun with the royal icing – go wild!

This simple, sweet cookie is perfect for an Easter gift. You can use whatever colours you want to ice them – have some fun with decorating.

Happy Easter, Kaló Páscha – be safe over the long weekend.