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Chocolate Melomakarona: Greek Chocolate & Honey Cookies
This traditional Greek Christmas cookies have just gotten better with this delicious chocolate coating.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 50 pieces
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Greek
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 700 ml water
- 800 g granulated sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 200 g honey
For the cookie dough:
- 240 ml Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 240 ml sunflower oil
- 120 ml cognac
- orange juice from a single orange
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 kg soft flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- grated zest of a single orange
For the chocolate ganache coating:
- 400 g dark chocolate couverture finely chopped
- 400 ml full fat heavy cream
To serve:
- ground walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F) fan.
Cup of Yum
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.
Cup of Yum
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
- Chef’s tip: If you like your Melomakarona cookies to be softer, dip them in the syrup for 15 seconds.
- If you like your Melomakarona cookies to be softer, dip them in the syrup for 15 seconds.