Chocolate Melomakarona: Greek Chocolate & Honey Cookies
User Reviews
4.9
Chocolate Melomakarona: Greek Chocolate & Honey Cookies
Description
Chocolate Melomakarona blends the classic Greek honey cookie with a decadent chocolate ganache. The cookie dough includes a mix of olive and sunflower oils, cognac, and orange juice for a moist texture and complex aroma. After shaping and baking the cookies, they are dipped briefly in a spiced honey-lemon syrup to absorb flavor without losing crispness. The final step coats each cookie in a creamy dark chocolate ganache, which balances the sweetness and adds a smooth finish. Ground walnuts add texture and traditional nutty notes when serving.
The syrup's cinnamon and lemon bring warmth and brightness to the cookies, complementing the rich oils and fragrant spices in the dough. The cookies have a tender crumb with syrup-soaked softness inside, layered with glossy chocolate coating that melts in the mouth.
Melomakarona are typically served during festive occasions but can be enjoyed year-round with coffee or tea. The chocolate coating offers a modern twist to the traditional recipe and the ground walnuts provide a final crunchy element.
For softer cookies, dipping them for about 15 seconds in the syrup is recommended. Avoid over-mixing the dough to prevent oils from separating, which helps maintain a pleasant texture. Prepare syrup and ganache in advance to assemble fresh cookies when baking.
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 700 ml water
- 800 g granulated sugar
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 200 g honey
For the cookie dough:
- 240 ml extra virgin olive oil Greek
- 240 ml sunflower oil
- 120 ml cognac
- orange juice from a single orange
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 kg flour soft
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- orange grated zest from a single orange
For the chocolate ganache coating:
- 400 g dark chocolate couverture finely chopped
- 400 ml heavy cream full fat
To serve:
- walnut ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F) fan.
For the syrup:
- Place a pot over medium to high heat. Add the water, granulated sugar, cinnamon sticks, and lemon slices. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the honey, stir, and set the syrup aside to cool completely.
For the cookie dough:
- Place the olive oil, sunflower oil, cognac, orange juice, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a hand whisk.
- Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and orange zest in another large bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Carefully mix by hand until it turns into a nice cookie dough. DO NOT over-mix, or else the oils will start to seep out of the dough.
- Shape the cookie dough into 30 g/1 oz round balls and then flatten them a little to give them the traditional melomakarona cookie appearance. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- With a fork, pierce small holes on the surface of each cookie. This will help the cookies bake faster and soak up the syrup easier.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and crunchy.
- When ready, remove from the oven and immediately dip the hot Melomakarona cookies in the syrup for 10 seconds. Transfer to a platter with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with ground walnuts.
- Serve as they are or coat with chocolate ganache.
For the chocolate ganache coating:
- Place a pot over medium to low heat, add the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from heat and immediately add the chocolate couverture. Mix thoroughly until the ganache is smooth and shiny and set it aside to cool for 1-2 minutes.
- Dip the Melomakarona cookies into the chocolate ganache until completely coated. Transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper and leave until the ganache has hardened and then serve.
Enjoy!
Notes
- Dip the cookies for about 15 seconds in the syrup if you prefer a softer texture.
- Do not over-mix the dough to avoid oil seepage and maintain proper cookie consistency.
- Use freshly grated orange zest and quality dark chocolate for best flavor.
- Allow the syrup to cool completely before dipping to prevent melting the cookies.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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