Melomakarona – Greek Honey Cookies
by Maria Koinaki | 23 Dec 2016 |
These moist cake-like cookies are flavoured with orange and brandy that are bathed in a sweet honey syrup and topped with chopped almonds and sesame seeds.
Lovely christmassy cookies based with extra virgin olive oil and topped with honey. A tradition in Greece that are so enjoyable, you’ll yearn for them all year round!!
Prep Time15 minsCook Time35 minsTotal Time50 mins
Ingredients for the cookies
1 cup Olive Branch Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ cup sugar
Zest of one orange
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup brandy
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
of salt
7 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup almonds ground coarsely
¼ cup sesame seeds
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Ingredients for the Syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
34 whole cloves
12 inch piece lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2In a small bowl, using your fingers, combine the orange zest with the sugar – rubbing the grains as if you were playing with sand to release the orange oils into the sugar.
3Using an electric mixer, beat the oil with the orange sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4Add the orange juice and brandy to mixer and mix well.
5Slowly incorporate the flour cup by cup until the mixture forms a dough that is not too loose but not quite firm either. It will be dense and wet but not sticky. Once the flour is incorporated fully stop mixing.
6To roll cookies, pinch a portion of dough off about the size of a walnut. Shape in your palms into a smooth oblong shape, almost like a small egg. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape and roll cookies until the sheet is filled.
7Press the tines of a large fork in a crosshatch pattern in the center of each cookie. This will flatten them slightly in the center. The cookies should resemble lightly flattened ovals when they go in the oven.
8Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes until lightly browned. (The cookies will darken when submerged in syrup.)
9While the cookies are baking, prepare the syrup.
10In a saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind.
11Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind and stir in lemon juice.
12Place the ground almonds and sesame seeds in a shallow plate or bowl on a stove to lightly toast. When the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still very warm, carefully float the cookies in the syrup and allow the cookies to absorb syrup on both sides.
13Using a fork or small spatula, remove the cookie from the syrup and place on a platter or plate. Press ground almonds and sesame seeds lightly into the tops of the cookies (syrup will help it adhere) and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.
14Do not refrigerate Melomakarona as they will harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cookies
1 cup Olive Branch Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ cup sugar
Zest of one orange
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup brandy
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
of salt
7 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup almonds ground coarsely
¼ cup sesame seeds
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Ingredients for the Syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
34 whole cloves
12 inch piece lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Cooking Instructions
1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2In a small bowl, using your fingers, combine the orange zest with the sugar – rubbing the grains as if you were playing with sand to release the orange oils into the sugar.
3Using an electric mixer, beat the oil with the orange sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4Add the orange juice and brandy to mixer and mix well.
5Slowly incorporate the flour cup by cup until the mixture forms a dough that is not too loose but not quite firm either. It will be dense and wet but not sticky. Once the flour is incorporated fully stop mixing.
6To roll cookies, pinch a portion of dough off about the size of a walnut. Shape in your palms into a smooth oblong shape, almost like a small egg. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape and roll cookies until the sheet is filled.
7Press the tines of a large fork in a crosshatch pattern in the center of each cookie. This will flatten them slightly in the center. The cookies should resemble lightly flattened ovals when they go in the oven.
8Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes until lightly browned. (The cookies will darken when submerged in syrup.)
9While the cookies are baking, prepare the syrup.
10In a saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind.
11Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind and stir in lemon juice.
12Place the ground almonds and sesame seeds in a shallow plate or bowl on a stove to lightly toast. When the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still very warm, carefully float the cookies in the syrup and allow the cookies to absorb syrup on both sides.
13Using a fork or small spatula, remove the cookie from the syrup and place on a platter or plate. Press ground almonds and sesame seeds lightly into the tops of the cookies (syrup will help it adhere) and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.
14Do not refrigerate Melomakarona as they will harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Melomakarona – Greek Honey Cookies
AuthorMariaCategoryCake & Desserts