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Melomakarona
Honey-dipped spice cookies
Melomakarona: Greek Christmas cookies of olive oil, orange and spice, dipped in honey syrup and walnuts
From early December, bakeries and kitchens all over Greece fill tins with melomakarona, the oval cookies that sit beside kourabiedes on every Christmas table and get handed to visitors with coffee. The dough is made with olive oil and orange juice rather than butter, scented with cinnamon and clove, then baked and plunged into warm honey syrup so the inside turns soft and sticky while the edges stay crisp. Common mistake: dipping hot cookies into hot syrup, which turns them to mush; one of the two must be cool. Chef's tip: mix the dough only until it comes together; overworking it squeezes out the oil and the cookies bake hard and greasy.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup light olive oil
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- ½ cup orange juicefreshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp orange zestfrom about 2 oranges
- 2 tbsp extra orange juicemany families use brandy here; juice keeps them alcohol-free
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 3 ½ oz fine semolina
- 1 ¼ lb plain flouryou may need a little less
For the syrup
- 1 cup water
- 9 oz granulated sugar
- 9 oz Greek thyme honey
- 2 strips orange peel
To finish
- 3 ½ oz walnutsfinely chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Make the syrup first so it can cool: bring 1 cup water, 9 oz granulated sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 strips orange peel to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in 9 oz Greek thyme honey. Leave to cool completely.
8 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk ¾ cup light olive oil, ½ cup sunflower oil and 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Dissolve ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda in ½ cup orange juice (it will foam) and whisk it in with 2 tbsp extra orange juice and 1 tbsp orange zest.
3 minStep 4: Stir 1 tsp baking powder, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves and 3 ½ oz fine semolina into 1 ¼ lb plain flour, then add to the wet mix a third at a time, folding with your hand just until you have a soft, oily dough that holds its shape. Stop as soon as it comes together.
Step 5: Take walnut-sized pieces (about 30 g), roll into ovals and press the tops lightly with the back of a fork for the syrup to cling to. Space them 3 cm apart.
Step 6: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden underneath and firm to touch.
28 minStep 7: While the cookies are still hot, drop 5 or 6 at a time into the cool syrup for 30–60 seconds, turning once, until they stop bubbling and look glossy. Lift onto a rack.
Step 8: Sprinkle with 3 ½ oz walnuts while sticky. Leave for a few hours; they taste best the next day and keep 2 weeks in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does melomakarona take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of light olive oil?
- Vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil, same amount (for cooking; keep olive oil for dressings if you have a little).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas