Recipe ingredients
For the syrup
- 500 g water
- 800 g granulated sugar
- 150 g honey
- 3 stick(s) cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 1 orange, cut in half
1st mixture
- 400 g orange juice
- 400 g seed oil
- 180 g olive oil
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) cloves
- 2-3 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
- orange zest, of 2 oranges
2nd mixture
- 1-kilo all-purpose flour
- 200 g semolina, fine
To serve
- Honey
- Walnuts
Directions:
These amazingly aromatic little cookies are a traditional Greek Christmas treat…called “Melomakarona”. Your house will be filled with aromas of orange, honey, cinnamon, and cloves… Each bite is so deliciously Christmassy…it will become an instant personal favorite!
For the syrup
- Boil all of the ingredients for the syrup, apart from the honey, until the sugar melts. Remove from heat. Add the honey and mix till combined.
- Let the syrup cool for 3-4 hours. It must be cold by the time the cookies come out from the oven.
- You can prepare the syrup from the day before.
For the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 190* C (370*F) set to fan.
- To make the cookies, you need to prepare 2 separate mixtures.
- For the first mixture, add all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix, using a hand whisk.
- In a separate bowl, add all of the ingredients for the second mixture.
- Combine the first and second mixture.
- Mix by hand, very gently and for a very short time (10 seconds at the most). If you mix longer the mixture will split or curdle.
- Mold cookie dough into oval shapes, 3-4 cm in length, 30 g each. Try to keep them as similar as possible.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until they are crunchy and golden brown.
- As soon as you remove them from the oven, soak the hot cookies in the syrup for 10 seconds.
- Allow them to drain on a wire rack.
- Drizzle with honey and chopped walnuts.
Tip
Be careful not to overwork the cookie dough because the oil may start to seep out and then they won’t turn out crispy! The orange used for the syrup should be a whole fresh orange, cut in half!
The recipe is by Chef Akis Petretzikis