Traditional Melomakarona Recipe for the Festive Season

Melomakarona are traditional Greek Christmas spiced cookies that are moist, syrupy and extremely flavoursome. They are prepared in Greek households over the Festive Season and as they are Nistisima (lent friendly) they are perfect for entertaining during the Nativity Fast.

Here is a family recipe, which not only tastes great but will leave your kitchen smelling amazing every time you bake them!

Ingredients →

– 2 x cups olive oil
– 1 x cup sugar
– 1 x cup fresh orange juice
– zest of 1 orange
– 1 x tablespoon vanilla sugar
– 2 x tablespoons Cognac
– 2 x tablespoons baking powder
– 1 x tablespoon ground cinnamon
– 1 x tablespoon ground cloves
– 900 x grams self-raising flour
– 1 x cup fine semolina
– chopped walnuts for garnishing

For syrup →

– 1 x cups sugar
– 2 x cups honey
– 2 x cups water
– 1 x cinnamon stick

Method →

– In a large bowl add sugar and oil and whisk for about 7 minutes.
– In a small bowl add orange juice, Cognac and baking soda and mix well.
– Pour juice into sugar mixture and also add orange zest, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, and semolina and whisk till well combined
– Slowly add in flour and mix together.
– Knead the dough with hands until the dough is soft and smooth.
– Begin making melomakarona into oblong shapes and place each piece on baking paper lined trays.
– Place in 180 degrees celsius (preheated) oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until melomakarona are golden brown.
– In the meantime to make the syrup, add all ingredients into a saucepan and boil for 6 minutes.
– When melomakarona come out of the oven, place them in cooled syrup, a few at a time, flipping them with a slotted spoon to absorb the syrup.
– Place cookies on serving platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

*Images by Greek City Times (Copyright)