Sesame Koulourakia (Biscuits) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk, lukewarm (8 oz)
2 teaspoons baking ammonia
2 lbs flour, sifted, and a bit extra
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sesame seeds (315 gr = 12 oz)

Preparation

Cream butter with sugar until fluffy and quite pale-coloured (about 5-6 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time. Dissolve baking ammonia in the milk and add milk to the butter/egg mixture.
Add the flour, baking powder and vanilla and mix until you have a pliable dough that doesn't stick to the sides of the mixing bowl (you may need to add a bit more flour as this recipe is from metric and actually calls for a kilo of flour which equals 2.2 lbs).
Shape the dough into whatever shapes you desire. In Greece, we shape it into rings, snails, Ss, braids - you are only limited by your imagination. Do try to keep the shape down to a size that will comfortably fit into your coffee cup for dunking though - and remember - they'll puff up in baking. Brush shapes with water and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Place on greased cookie sheets, or parchment-lined cookie sheets, or silpat.
Bake in a preheated 375F (180C) oven for 15-20 moinutes, or until golden-brown.
Store in an airtight container.
Note: If you can find a 'soft' flour, suited for pastry-making, you'll have a more authentic koulouraki.