Melomakarona Recipe (Greek Honey Cookies)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
40 cookies
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Calories
147 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, Greek
Melomakarona Recipe (Greek Honey Cookies)
Description
Melomakarona Recipe (Greek Honey Cookies) features an orange honey syrup infused with cinnamon and cloves, which complements the spiced cookie dough made with all-purpose flour, semolina, warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and enriched with olive and neutral oils. The dough is shaped into ovals and baked until set, then soaked while hot in the cooled honey-citrus syrup to absorb sweetness and moisture. Topped with crushed walnuts, the final cookies offer a balance of soft, syrup-soaked crumb with a slight crunch from the nuts. The recipe's use of spices and the orange zest syrup brings a distinctive aromatic profile representative of traditional Greek festive baking.
The texture is tender but sturdy enough to hold syrup without falling apart, achieved by careful mixing of the dough and the timing of dipping hot cookies into cool syrup. The method involves simmering the syrup to concentrate flavors and allow cooling before soaking. The flavor combines honey's floral sweetness with citrus brightness and warm spices, creating layers of taste. These cookies are usually served as a sweet snack or dessert during holidays and celebrations.
For storage, keep the melomakarona in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. The recipe advises that the cookies must be hot when dipped in syrup that is cool to prevent them from breaking down, ensuring the desired texture is maintained. This technique also helps the syrup absorb evenly into the cookies, making them moist and fragrant without becoming mushy.
Ingredients
Orange Honey Syrup:
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 clove whole
- 1 orange
Melomakarona Cookies:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine semolina flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cloves ground
- 1/4 cup orange juice plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup neutral flavored oil such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil
To top:
- 1/2 cup walnuts crushed
Instructions
- To make the syrup, place the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick and cloves in a sauce pan. Zest the orange using a zester or a microplane and add it to the mixture. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the syrup cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix the flour with semolina, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl whisk the orange juice with the granulated sugar, honey, olive oil and grapeseed oil.
- Add the flour mixture to the orange juice and honey mixture and combine using a wooden spoon and later your hands. Mix just enough for the ingredients to incorporate and make sure not to overwork the dough.
- Grab about 1 1/2 tbsp of the cookie dough and shape it into an oval ball. Then press it gently on a cookie rack and place it on the baking sheet. If you don't have a cookie rack, place the cookie dough on the baking sheet and pierce it a couple of times with a fork. This is for the cookies to absorb the syrup better later. Repeat the steps with the remaining cookie dough.
- Bake the cookies for 25 minutes until they're lightly brown at the bottom.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and immediately soak them in the cool syrup. You can let the cookies soak for up to 20 seconds.
- Take the cookies out of the syrup, arrange them on a platter and top with crushed walnuts.
Notes
- Ensure the honey syrup is completely cooled before dipping the hot cookies to prevent them from falling apart.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks as they contain no dairy or eggs.
- Shape the dough into oval balls and press gently with a cookie rack for traditional appearance.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 40cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 147 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 147kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Sodium | 1mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 36mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 11IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 8mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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