Melomakarona Greek Olive Oil Honey Cookies Food

MELOMAKARONA RECIPE (GREEK CHRISTMAS HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• To prepare this melomakarona recipe start by making the syrup first. In a pot add all the ingredients for the syrup, besides the honey and bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the stove. Stir in the honey and set aside to cool completely.
• Prepare the dough for the melomakarona. In a bowl add the semolina, flour and baking powder and mix with a whisk to combine.
• In another large bowl add the orange juice, the cognac, the sugar and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla) and mix. Add the baking soda and whisk immediately for 5-10 seconds until the ingredients combine and the baking soda dissolves and starts to foam. Pour in the bowl the water, the oil, the orange zest and honey and whisk to combine.
• Now it's time to combine the two mixtures. Add the mixed flour, semolina and baking powder (from step 2) in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients from step 3 and start kneading the dough for the melomakarona. Knead the dough for the melomakarona using your hands, until the ingredients combine and the dough is smooth and soft and slightly sticky. Be careful not to overwork the dough as they will become tough.
• . Layer the bottom of 4 large baking trays with parchment paper and start shaping the melomakarona. Pinch a portion of dough about the size of a walnut - 30g / 1oz and shape with your palms into a smooth oblong shape, like a small egg. Place on the baking tray, push lightly the top with a fork and pierce three times on top about half way through the dough. Continue with the rest of the dough.
• Depending on how large on oven you have when your first two trays are ready you can start baking them. Place the baking trays with the melomakarona in the oven and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes, until the melomakarona are lightly and evenly browned and cooked through. If you've made them bigger, you'll need to bump up the cooking time!!
• When the melomakarona come out of the oven, dip them immediately in the cold syrup, flipping them with a slotted spoon to absorb the syrup for approx. 10-20 seconds, depending on how syrupy you like them. Remove the cookies using a slotted spoon, place on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
• While you are dipping your first couple of tray in the syrup add the next two in the oven to bake. Don't forget to set your timer!!
• Store the melomakarona at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for all your Christmas Holidays!

MELOMAKARONA (GREEK OLIVE OIL-HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• Make the syrup: In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, cinnamon sticks and clove with 1 1/3 cups water. Cut orange in half and place in saucepan, flesh down. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Set aside to cool completely, leaving the cinnamon, clove and orange in the syrup until ready to use.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners, or lightly grease the pans with olive oil.
• Finely grate the zest of 1 orange into a large mixing bowl. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. If it doesn't measure 1 cup (240 milliliters), squeeze in enough juice from the other orange. Add juice to the bowl with the zest, then mix in olive oil, sugar, brandy, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, semolina and baking soda. Gradually, fold in the flour mixture into the olive oil mixture. With a wooden spoon, mix until flour is just evenly incorporated.
• Using your hands, roll dough into 1 1/2-inch ovals or egg-shapes, and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Using the palm of your hand, lightly flatten dough. Bake until cookies are golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through for even baking.
• Right before the cookies are done, remove the orange, cinnamon sticks and clove from the syrup. As soon as the cookies are out of the oven, and working in batches, dunk the hot cookies in the cool syrup, gently flipping them for about 10 seconds so they can absorb the syrup. Remove cookies from the syrup using a slotted spoon and arrange them on a tray or plate. Sprinkle the center of each cookie with a generous pinch of nuts, patting them lightly so they stick to cookies.
• Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To prevent the cookies from sticking together, place sheets of wax or parchment paper between cookie layers.

MELOMAKARONA (A GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIE)

Steps:

• Put the corn oil, butter, beer (or orange juice), cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until they are thoroughly blended.
• Sift about one cup of flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt and blend into the oil mixture.
• Add the semolina, a cup at a time, into this mixture.
• Add enough of the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until you get a rather firm dough (you may need a bit more or less than the amount of flour mentioned in the ingredients list).
• Use your hands to do the mixing, as an electric mixer will be useless after the first two or three cups of flour have been added.
• Roll the dough into cylinders, about two inches long and one inch in diameter, flatten them with your hands, and place them on cookie sheets that have been greased with a little olive oil.
• Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for half an hour.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and pour hot syrup over them.
• Lay the cookies out in a rimmed baking pan large enough to contain them and pour the hot syrup over the cookies, sprinkle them with the chopped walnuts and let them soak overnight.
• (Alternatively, if you do not have enough rimmed baking sheets to accommodate all the cookies, you can dip them in batches directly into the hot syrup - keeping the syrup at the lowest possible simmer - and allow to soak in the syrup for 8-10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon).
• For the syrup: mix the sugar, honey and water, and bring to a boil.
• Cook on low heat for four minutes and skim off the foam that forms on top.
• The next day put them on your prettiest platter, sprinkle each layer evenly with the finely chopped walnuts and wrap with plastic wrap (or put in an airtight container) and serve.
• These are great keepers and will last for months (my Mom's 'big' batches sometimes made it nearly up until Easter!).

MELOMAKARONA (GREEK HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• COOKIES ~.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat together first 4 ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, cloves, and baking soda 3 times.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients to the oil mixture and knead gently.
• Pinch off 2 1/2 tablespoons portions of dough and form into little flat oblongs (football shapes). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2-inches apart.
• Bake in oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• SYRUP ~.
• Boil honey, sugar, water, and cinnamon for 5 minutes.
• Pour syrup over hot melomakarona cookies.
• Allow to soak for 15 minutes, take them out of the syrup and place on large plate.
• Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.

GREEK HONEY COOKIES (MELOMAKARONA)

Steps:

• Cream butter and oil until completely mixed, add confectioner's sugar, add orange juice slowly, add vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, add 2 cups flour and beat, add two more cups flour, and then add the rest. You may not need all of the flour, just don't let it get too thick, knead the dough lightly in the bowl.
• Using teaspoon, scoop out some of the dough and roll in your palms and flatten slightly in your hands. Bake at 350 for 25 minute and cool.
• Boil syrup ingredients for 5 minute in LARGE saucepan, as it will foam up, then dip each cake (I do several at one time) in the saucepan, turning a couple of times with a wooden spoon, place the cookies on waxed paper and sprinkle with walnut and cinnamon mixture. Cool completely before storing. Best stored in tins. These cookies will keep in tins for a couple of months, but I can't stay out of them long enough to last that long!