Melomakarona - Greek Honey Cookies
User Reviews
5
Melomakarona - Greek Honey Cookies
Description
Melomakarona - Greek Honey Cookies are crafted using a combination of extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil, which gives the dough a rich and tender texture. Cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest flavor the dough, enhancing the aromatic profile of the cookies. After shaping the dough into small ovals and creating texture on their surface, they are baked until crunchy and golden to develop a satisfying bite.
The cookies are then dipped into a cold syrup made from water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and honey, allowing them to absorb sweetness without becoming soggy. The contrast between the hot cookies and the cold syrup is key to achieving the right balance of flavor and texture. Finally, sprinkled with finely chopped walnuts, they add an earthy crunch that complements the honey sweetness.
These cookies can be served with tea or coffee and are a traditional festive sweet often enjoyed in Greece. Their taste profile of warm spices and honey sweetness pairs well with various celebrations and gatherings.
The original notes emphasize not overworking the dough to preserve softness and avoid a floury taste. Shaping should be gentle, and the short soak time in syrup ensures the cookies remain delicate yet flavorful.
Ingredients
- 8½ oz extra virgin olive oil
- 8½ oz sunflower oil
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 lb all-purpose flour
- 7 oz sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 5½ oz orange juice fresh
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- ⅓ teaspoon cloves ground
- walnuts finelly chopped
For the syrup
- 14 oz water
- 14 oz sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10½ oz honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 210°C / 410°F
- Line a couple of large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the syrup
- Put the water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add the honey, stir and simmer for 10 min. Leave pot aside to cool.
Make the cookies
- Pour the oils into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment , mix oils slowly. Add the flour gradually, then add the cinnamon, baking powder, orange zest, sugar, orange juice, and baking soda. Mix all ingredients well.
- Using your hands, shape the melomakarona into small oval shapes, about 2 inches long each.To achieve a textured look on the top, press each cookie on the side of a grater. You can also create a texture using a fork. Place cookies on the baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, until they are crunchy and dark golden brown.Once cookies are out of the oven, soak them into the cold syrup for 10 seconds.Place them on a wire rack to drain.
- Drizzle melomakarona with honey and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!
Notes
- Handle the dough gently and avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender and flavorful without a floury taste.
- Shape cookies softly like dough, avoiding toughening through overworking the mix.
- Dip hot baked cookies into cold syrup for 10-15 seconds for proper syrup absorption without sogginess.
- Allow cookies to drain on a wire rack after soaking to maintain texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 40Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 272 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 272kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 147mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 36mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 21g | 42% |
| Vitamin A | 8IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 42mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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