Cinnamon Sugar Twist Cookies

Cinnamon Sugar Twist Cookies are firm, mildly sweet cookies adapted from Greek Easter cookies. They are an ideal dunking cookie, with a buttery, cinnamon flavor that goes with just about everything!

For military care packages, easy ingredient adaptations can be made to make Cinnamon Sugar Twist Cookies desert safe.

Why you'll love this recipe

I adapted Cinnamon Sugar Twists from a recipe for Greek Easter Cookies (Koulourakia). They are a firm cookie that is only mildly sweet but full of buttery flavor.

Traditionally enjoyed with coffee, Cinnamon Sugar Twist Cookies are a munch-by-the-dozen type of cookie all on their own. The flavors are even better several days after baking.

Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients.
3. Scoop 1 tablespoon dough balls and refrigerate about 10-15 minutes until easy to handle. Once the dough can be easily handled, knead a dough ball until smooth, then roll out  to form a 6” snake.
4. Fold the snake into an upside down “u”. Working from the right side each time, twist the right dough over the left three times, pressing the ends together after the final twist.
5.  Brush onto cookies twists with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until cookies are golden brown

Storage

When completely cool, store at room temperature in airtight container or ziplock bag for 2-3 weeks.

Tips

• The original recipe calls for sprinkling the cookies with sesame seeds. Instead, I added cinnamon inside and cinnamon sugar outside. There is a very delicate orange taste from orange juice in the recipe. For a more pronounced orange flavor, I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of orange zest.
• Cinnamon Sugar Twists can be baked with excellent results using desert-safe ingredients. Please note the desert-safe adaptations at the bottom of the recipe. The adaptations include substituting vegetable shortening for the butter and water for the orange juice.
• Though Cinnamon Sugar Twists are very cute twisted cookies, I realize that they don’t make a major color splash in a care package. To remedy that, I wrapped my Cinnamon Sugar Twists in plastic wrap and then packaged them in colorful plastic party bags tied with ribbons. Color splash issue resolved.

More cinnamon cookies

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You are going to want a cookie jar full of these crisp and crunchy Cinnamon Snap Cookies. So good with coffee or tea.

Cinnamon Streusel Cookies taste like the crumb topping on a coffee cake! Buttery and delicious.

Divinity Cookies are a copycat recipe for a crunchy cinnamon treat that was a Publix bakery favorite.

Cinnamon Snowball Cookies are melt in your mouth treats, filled with the warmth of cinnamon spice. This version is nut free!

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Cinnamon Sugar Twist Cookies

Firm, mildly sweet cookies adapted from Greek Easter cookies. They are an ideal dunking cookie, with a buttery, cinnamon flavor.

5 from 2 votes

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Greek

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Chill time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 28

Calories: 95kcal

Author: Wendy Sondov

Adapted From: "The Joy of Cookies" by Sharon Tyler Herbst

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup butter room temperature
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar I used turbanado for large crystals and brown color,
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Lower mixer speed and add egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly between additions.
• Slowly add dry ingredients until combined.
• Using small scoop ( 1 tablespoon size) or tablespoon, scoop dough and place balls on a plate. Refrigerate about 10-15 minutes until easy to handle.
• To form cookie: Mush a ball a few times in your hand to make dough smooth, then roll out on counter to look like a 6” long pencil. (Channel your playdough snake making days.) Gently fold dough snake into an upside down “u”. Working from the right side each time, twist the right dough over the left three times, pressing the ends together after the final twist.
• Gently move formed twists onto prepared baking sheet, placing 1” apart.
• Mix together egg and milk/water glaze. Brush onto cookies.
• Mix together cinnamon-sugar and sprinkle over egg glaze.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes until cookie (not just glaze) is golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
• When completely cool, store at room temperature in airtight container or ziplock bag for 2-3 weeks.

Notes

Desert-safe adaptations: Use vegetable shortening instead of butter. Substitute water for orange juice. If you want orange flavor, instead of the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, use ½ teaspoon orange flavoring (essence) and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract.

Packing tips

With bottoms together, wrap pairs of cookies in double plastic wrap then place in airtight containers or ziplock bags for mailing. For decorative purposes only, colorful party bags tightly closed with ribbon or twist ties can be used.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

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First Published: May 10, 2013. Last Updated: November 15, 2022. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.

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