Authentic Melomakarona Recipe: Greek Christmas Honey Cookies
Our favorite melomakarona have embarked on a long journey from their possible place of origin, Persia, to reach our kitchen and become a traditional Christmas sweet. This particular recipe comes from the Peloponnese and belongs to my grandmother, providing us with deliciously crunchy and honey-soaked melomakarona with a fragrant taste.
Ingredients
- 520 grams sunflower or light olive oil
- 160 grams granulated sugar
- 1 Kg flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup cognac
- 1/2 glass orange juice
- 2 piece Orange zest
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon clove powder
For the Syrup:
- 1 lt water
- 700 grams granulated sugar
- 100 grams honey
- 1 piece orange with the peel cut into pieces
- 2 piece cinnamon sticks
- 6 piece whole cloves
- 2 piece Asteroid Aniseed
- Orange zest
For the Topping:
- thyme honey
- walnuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine all syrup ingredients except honey. Boil for five minutes.
- Once the syrup cools slightly, add honey, stir until dissolved, and let the syrup cool thoroughly. Then, refrigerate until needed.
- In a large bowl, mix all dough ingredients, gradually adding flour while kneading with your hands.
- The dough doesn't need to be overworked; just enough to combine the ingredients. If the dough sticks to your hands, sprinkle a little more flour.
- Take a small amount of dough (about the size of an egg, 30 grams) and shape it into an oval, ensuring all melomakarona have the same weight for even baking.
- Place the melomakarona next to each other but not too close, and make small holes on the surface with a small fork.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes.
- Once you strain the syrup, dip the hot melomakarona into the cold syrup for only 10 seconds, then immediately remove them using a slotted spoon and place them on a rack until completely cooled.
- Once cooled, arrange them on a plate, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle generously with freshly chopped walnuts.