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
- 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
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½ tsp baking soda
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⅔ cup + 1 tbsp fine semolina (wheat, rice, or bread flour works fine)
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4 + ⅔ cup AP flour
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1 tsp baking powder
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2 cups sugar
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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
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Honey
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Chopped Walnuts
For the Cookie Dough
For the Syrup
To garnish
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.