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Melomakarona: Greek Christmas Honey Cookies
5 from 16 votes

Melomakarona: Greek Christmas Honey Cookies

Melomakarona are traditional Greek Christmas honey cookies made from a soft dough flavored with olive oil, cognac, orange juice, and warm spices like cinnamon and clove. The dough is shaped into textured ovals to better absorb a spiced honey syrup poured over after baking. Finished with chopped walnuts and cinnamon, the cookies are moist, richly aromatic, and sweetened by the syrup. They keep well, improve with age, and can be made ahead for holiday celebrations.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 60 cookies
Calories: 200 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Greek, Vegan

Ingredients

For the cookies
  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup cognac for substitution see notes, or brandy
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • orange zest from 1 orange
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
  • 7 ½ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the syrup
  • 2 cups honey
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
For the topping
  • ½ cup walnut finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl mix the olive oil, cognac or brandy, orange juice, sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ground clove and orange peel.
  3. In another bowl sift flour and mix with the baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour gradually to the olive oil mixture, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Do not add all of it at once, stir with the spoon and add flour until you have soft and shiny dough, it should not be dry. Knead the dough just a bit until it comes together. Do not over knead. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
  4. Roll the dough in little balls about the size of a walnut. Using your fingers press one side of the ball on a grater flattening like a small pancake or pierce with a fork and then fold over so that the cookie is in a oval shape, with the top having the design of the grater. This is done so that the honey will be better absorbed as opposed to just shaping the cookie in a solid oval shape.
  5. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for about 25-28 minutes. Bake the rest of the cookies.
  6. Once all the cookies are baked, transfer to large casserole dish and flip them so that the bottom part is facing up, let them cool down completely.
  7. For the syrup bring to a boil the honey, syrup, water, cinnamon stick and slice of lemon and let it boil for 5 minutes. Remove the foam.
  8. Once the syrup is boiled, while it is hot, pour it over the cold cookies, making sure all cookies are covered with syrup. Let the cookies sit for at least 2-3 hours with the top side facing down so that they absorb the syrup * (Some people prefer to do the opposite: Make the syrup and let it cool off, than pour the syrup over hot cookies, instead of letting them cool down. Another way is to place the melomakarona in the pot with the syrup for a few minutes and removing them with a slotted spoon.)
  9. Mix the walnuts with cinnamon turn over on the melomakarona right side again, sprinkle over the melomakarona.
  10. Place the melomakarona on a large platter.

Notes

  • For an alcohol-free version, replace cognac or brandy with equal additional orange juice.
  • If substituting olive oil, use high-oleic sunflower oil at most for half the amount; other oils are not recommended.
  • Alternative nuts such as pistachios can be used as topping for color variation instead of walnuts.
  • Cookies can be made a day ahead; pour hot syrup over the cool cookies the following day for best absorption.
  • Beer can substitute for both brandy and orange juice by using one cup of beer instead of ½ cup each of brandy and orange juice.
  • Store finished cookies in airtight containers at room temperature; they improve in flavor over at least three weeks.
  • Cookies may be frozen before syrup application for up to six months when stored airtight.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1Cookie Calories 200kcal (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 60 cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 200

% Daily Value*

Serving 1Cookie
Calories 200kcal 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.