Greek honey Christmas cookies, often called "Melomakarona" (μελομακάρονα), are a beloved traditional holiday treat. These small cookies are made with a simple yet flavorful dough, typically combining olive oil, orange juice, and flour. They are lightly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, giving them a warm and festive flavor. Once baked to golden perfection, the cookies are soaked in a luscious honey syrup, which infuses them with a delightful sweetness and a moist texture. Finally, they are sprinkled with crushed walnuts for a nutty crunch and sometimes dusted with a hint of cinnamon for extra aroma. These cookies are a quintessential part of Greek Christmas celebrations, symbolizing warmth, hospitality, and festive joy.
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Greek Honey Christmas Cookies
Greek Honey Christmas Cookies
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Cookies
Servings
30
Cook Time
20 minutes
Greek honey Christmas cookies, often called "Melomakarona" (μελομακάρονα), are a beloved traditional holiday treat. These small cookies are made with a simple yet flavorful dough, typically combining olive oil, orange juice,and flour. They are lightly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, giving them a warm and festive flavor.
Once baked to golden perfection, the cookies are soaked in a luscious honey syrup, which infuses them with a delightful sweetness and a moist texture. Finally, they are sprinkled with crushed walnuts for a nutty crunch and sometimes dusted with a hint of cinnamon for extra aroma. These cookies are a quintessential part of Greek Christmas celebrations, symbolizing warmth, hospitality, and festive joy.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 125 ml orange juice fresh
-
8.8 oz olive oil
-
1.7 oz honey
-
⅓ cup water
-
½ cup sugar
-
1 + ½ tsp ground cinnamon
-
½ tsp ground clove
-
⅓ tsp ground nutmeg
-
½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 orange zested
-
½ tsp baking soda
-
⅔ cup + 1 tbsp fine semolina (wheat, rice, or bread flour works fine)
-
4 + ⅔ cup AP flour
-
1 tsp baking powder
For the Syrup
-
2 cups sugar
-
3.5 oz honey
-
1⅓ cup + 1 tbsp water
-
1 stick of cinnamon or 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
-
4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 orange peel
To garnish
-
Honey
-
Chopped Walnuts
Directions
To make the dough
Add all of the cookie dough ingredients except the semolina (wheat, rice or bread flour), AP flour, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir the mixture very well using a whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the semolina (or alternate) and stir to incorporate it into the mixture as well. Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix the dough with your hands for a couple of minutes. In the beginning, it's going to look like the dough needs more flour. But as you mix, it will come together. You'll end up with a very soft and oily dough.
Cover the bowl with a tea or kitchen towel and set aside while you prepare the syrup.
To make the syrup
Add all of the ingredients for the syrup in a small cooking pot or saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 4 minutes from the time it starts to bubble hard. Do not stir the syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside uncovered.
To make the cookies
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover your oven's tray pan or a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Shape. Take a piece of the dough in your hands (about 40-45 grams). Squeeze it a bit to remove any air and shape it into a round ball. Give the ball an oval shape and flatten it slightly. Add to the pan. Repeat until you fill the pan. Make sure you leave at least 3 cm (1½-inch) space between each cookie. Decorate. Make criss-cross lines on each cookie using a knife. You can also press a hand grater on the cookie to leave its marks as decor. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cookies get a light brown color. If needed cook for 5 minutes more until they get the desired color. But be careful not to overbake them.
Soak cookies in the syrup
Dip the cookies into the syrup using a draining spoon in small batches at a time. Let the cookies soak for a few seconds on each side (flipping them) and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them drain and cool.
To garnish
Serve the cookies topped with plenty of honey and chopped walnuts on top.