Grape Molasses Cookies- Moustokouloura

These grape molasses cookies, or moustokouloura as we call them in Greek, bring back so many childhood memories. My mom always made sure we had some kind of homemade cookies in the house. My dad would enjoy a couple with his morning coffee, and for us little ones, they were a special treat and we loved dipping them in our milk. Since these cookies don’t contain any butter or milk and are completely vegan, they were especially popular during the Lent period alongside orange flavored koulourakia and olive oil cookies.

Now, as a mom myself, I love making these grape molasses cookies with the help of my little ones. They enjoy adding the ingredients to the bowl and shaping the cookies. I’ll admit, shaping them is still a skill they are learning, but what matters most is having fun together, right?

They’re very easy to make and you’ll only need about 15–20 minutes to mix the ingredients and shape them. The recipe makes a generous batch of around 35–40 cookies, and they’ll keep well for up to two weeks at room temperature.

What is Grape Molasses

Grape molasses, which is also known as petimezi or epsima, is a thick dark syrup made of concentrated grape juice. It’s considered one of the first sweeteners used in ancient Greece along with honey and it’s full of vitamins and nutrients. People use it as a syrup on waffles, bread or pancakes and in some countries like Greece, you will find traditional cookies and other desserts using it as a sweetener.

Ingredients & How-to

To make these Greek moustokouloura you will need grape molasses and some simple baking ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, orange juice, cinnamon, ground cloves and olive or vegetable oil.

01. I start by mixing the oil and sugar for a few minutes, until the sugar dissolves. I like to use light olive oil instead of extra virgin that is too heavy for baking. If you find olive oil too strong or with a noticeable aftertaste, you can use a mild vegetable oil of your choice. You can also use either regular or brown sugar. Since the cookies already have a dark color from the grape molasses, using brown sugar won’t affect their appearance.

02. Next, I add the grape molasses to the mixture and give it a stir to mix it all well. Our cookies will get a nice dark brown color from the molasses.

03. Next, I add the ground cinnamon and cloves to the mixture. The warm aromas from these spices really complement the grape molasses and make the cookies taste amazing. If you don’t have ground cloves, you can simply leave them out and just use cinnamon. They’ll still be delicious!

04. Before adding the flour, I mix the orange juice with the baking soda in a small bowl. This will cause a reaction, and the orange juice will start to foam. That’s exactly what we want! I then pour it into the mixture and give it a quick stir. Now it’s time to add the flour. I start by adding half of it and mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon. Once that’s incorporated, I add the remaining flour and mix until everything comes together.

05. Once all the flour is added, try not to over-knead the dough, otherwise the oil will start to separate, and we don’t want that. Gently mix with a spatula just until the flour is fully incorporated into the wet ingredients, then move on to shaping the moustokouloura cookies.

06. For shaping the cookies, I first add some parchment paper to the bottom of a baking pan and have it close to my working surface. I take one small piece of dough around 35gr or 1.2oz, a little bit smaller than a golf ball. Try not to overwork the dough in your hands as the oil will start separating and dough might get more sticky.

07. I start rolling the dough ball into a rope using my fingers. The dough rope will be around 15-17cm or 6-7in.

08. Then I bring together the two edges and press to form a circle. I gently take the cookie and place it on the lined baking tray. You can shape them however you like, coils, braids, or even simple rounds! If you have kids, this is a fun step to get them involved in the process.

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09. Make sure you leave some space between the cookies on the tray as they will get a bit bigger in the oven. I leave around one finger space between them. The recipe makes around 35-40 cookies depending on the size, so they will fill a couple of trays. I usually put the first tray in the oven and then start making the second batch. By the time, the first one is baked, the second is ready to go in.

10. I just leave them in the oven for 14-15 minutes as they are meant to be soft and chewy, but if you like them more crunchy you can leave them for a couple of minutes longer. When they come out, they are very soft and delicate. Leave them to cool down for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to completely cool down completely.

Tips

• Don’t overwork the dough as the oil will separate and it will be difficult to shape the cookies.
• Make sure you clean your hands every now and then if they get sticky when shaping the koulourakia or you could add a little bit of oil to them.
• Leave space between the cookies on the tray because they will grow in the oven and we don’t want them to stick to each other.
• Let them cool down for 5-10 minutes on the tray as they come out of the oven as they can break easily.

Serving suggestions

These grape molasses cookies are great as dippers for coffee or a cup of milk. They are also easy to pack, so you can take a couple with you when you are out and about as a snack.

Storage

You can store the moustokouloura or grape mollases cookies in an airtight container for a couple of weeks if you can resist eating them all in a few days!

FAQ

What is grape molasses?

Are moustokouloura cookies vegan?

Do grape molasses cookies have sugar in them?