A cookie with a Michelin mention! Moustokouloura, or grape-must cookies, are a hallmark of the autumn in Athens, and the most famous ones hail from the Daremas family bakery in Markopoulo, in the heart of the Mesogeia region of Attica, famed since antiquity for its grapevines and wine…. The rich and famous liked their moustokouloura with morning coffee.
The cookies have been served to dignitaries and movie stars alike. These traditional amber-colored, coiled cookies, still twisted into shape by hand, baked on a lark two generations ago by a thoughtful wife wanting to lend a hand, have grown into a local legend. Even the Michelin Guide mentions the cookies on the list of must-eats in greater Athens. This is not the Daremas secret family recipe, which would be impossible to extract, but a favorite of mine nonetheless. Vegans rejoice: These traditional cookies are always made with olive oil, not butter!
Makes about 4 dozen
2 cups extra-virgin Greek olive oil
1½ cups Saba or cooked grape must
½ cup brandy
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups all-purpose flour
2½ cups semolina flour
Sesame seeds, for garnish
In the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the olive oil, grape must, brandy, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder at medium-high speed until the sugar dissolves and the mixture lightens up in color.
Sift the cinnamon, cloves, and two flours together in a large bowl.
Remove the whisk attachment from the mixer and replace it with the dough hook. Slowly add the flours to the liquid, working the dough with the hook attachment on medium-low speed until enough of the flour is combined to create a soft dough that peels away from the sides of the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a clean work surface. Break off one piece at a time of the dough mass, about 2 rounded tablespoons at a time, and shape into a rope about ½ inch thick and 6 inches long. Join both ends to form a circle, pinching the tops together to close. Place on the lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. When all the cookies are shaped, sprinkle generously with the sesame seeds and bake for about 20 minutes, or until dark amber in color but still springy to the touch. Remove and cool. Store in a cool, dry place.
Acknowledgement and more information
–From ATHENS, by Diane Kochilas. Copyright © 2025 by the author, and reprinted with permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. The introduction to the Moustokouloura Cookie Recipe above is an excerpt from the longer introduction in Kochilas’s book. Photograph by Lisa Radinovsky.
For more about Kochilas, her PBS series My Greek Table, immersive food tours and cooking classes in Athens and Ikaria, and her online educational offerings, see her website. For an overview of Athens: Food, Stories, Love—A Cookbook, see the Greek Liquid Gold review of it. You can order your copy here.
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