melomakarona

My Sticky Greek Honey Cookies are sweet, super soft and cakey, crunchy with nuts, and wonderfully sticky — and a wonderful holiday cookie for your table this year.

Sticky Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona) Recipe

olive oil

(3floz/85 milliliters) orange juice

sugar

(1 ¼oz/35 grams) crushed walnuts

honey

cognac ((optional))

orange zest

(10 ounces 284 grams) all-purpose flour

baking powder

baking soda

salt

cloves

cinnamon

½ cups (15 ounces 425 grams) honey

(2floz/57 milliliters) water

(5 ounces 142 grams) crushed walnuts

sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, orange juice, sugar, crushed walnuts, honey, cognac (if using), and orange zest.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and knead with your hands for a few minutes to incorporate the oil into the flour.

Working with one tablespoon of dough at a time, roll into oval shapes, flatten slightly and place onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches (5cm) apart.

Press the tops to the cookies with a fork to make a few indentations.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool completely before proceeding.

To Make The Cookie Dough:

Once the cookies are cooled, make the syrup: combine the honey and water in a wide, shallow saucepan and heat until simmering.

While the syrup is heating, combine the crushed walnuts and sesame seeds in a small bowl and set near the syrup.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle with half of the walnut-sesame mixture, and place near the syrup.

Working with a few cookies at a time, dip the cookies in the warm syrup, coating both sides.

Lift gently out of the syrup and back onto the parchment-lined, walnut sprinkled cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with some of the remaining crushed walnuts and sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Once cooled, store these cookies in a single layer in a parchment-lined, airtight container or in individual paper muffin liners. These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

To Make The Honey Syrup:

A traditional melomakarona recipe! These Greek Christmas honey cookies (melomakarona) are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive!

Melomakarona recipe (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies)

fine semolina (5.3 ounces, half a cup)

flour (soft) (17.6 ounces, 4 cups)

tbsp baking powder

orange juice (3.5 ounces, 1/3 cups)

tbsps cognac

sugar (3.5 ounces, 1/3 cups)

tbsp cinnamon

tsp nutmeg (powder)

(powder)

tsp vanilla extract

tbsp baking soda

water (3.2 ounces, 1/3 cups)

olive oil (4.4 ounces, 1/2 cups)

vegetable/sunflower oil (4.4 ounces, 1/2 cups)

honey (1.8 ounces, 3 tbsp)

oranges

water (10 ounces, 1 1/4 cups)

sugar (20 ounces, 2 3/4 cups)

orange,

honey (7 ounces, 10 tbsp)

chopped walnuts (7 ounces, 1 2/3 cups)

cinnamon (optional)

clove

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.

Preheat the oven at 180C / 356F

. 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 &#8211; 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&#8217;ve made them bigger, you&#8217;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!

Gooey, sticky traditional melomakarona or Greek Christmas honey cookies with delicious festive flavours. There&#039;s no way you&#039;ll be able to eat just one!

Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies)

orange (zest of)

orange juice

vegetable oil ((I used canola))

brandy ((optional -

flour

runny honey

water

lemon rind

lemon juice (a few squeezes)

walnuts (chopped/crushed (or use pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, even peanuts

cinnamon (approximately)

Preheat oven.

Mix orange with sugar.

Zest the orange, then combine the zest with the sugar in a large bowl.

Add oil and other liquids.

Pour the oils into the sugar/orange mixture and beat until well combined. Then add the orange juice and brandy and beat again.

Add flour.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda, then add to the liquid little by little until a stiff, wet dough forms. You may not need to use all the flour, or you may need a little more.

Shape into cookie shapes.

Pull off a walnut-sized piece of dough and shape it into a ball / oval in your hands, then place it on a baking sheet. Use a fork to flatten the dough and make a criss-cross pattern on it. Keep shaping and flattening balls of dough until it is all used up.

Bake.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned.

To make the cookies

Make syrup.

While the cookies are in the oven, make the syrup. Combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, lemon peel and cloves in a saucepan, then bring to the boil.

Simmer.

Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the syrup has thickened slightly.

Take out flavours and add lemon.

Take out the cinnamon, lemon peel and cloves and stir in the lemon juice.

To make the syrup

Float cookies in syrup.

While the cakes are still very warm, float them in the syrup a few at a time, turning them over to make sure they soak up plenty of liquid.

Take out of syrup.

After about 30 seconds, take the cookies out with a fork or spoon with holes in. Put them on a serving plate.

Sprinkle nuts and cinnamon over top.

Press some walnuts into the top and sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon over them.

Display and serve.

Once you've covered your plate, you can pile the others on top of each other if you like - this is how they are usually sold and served in Greece!

Dipping the cookies in the syrup

These were incredible! I poured my left over syrup over the top of my cookies and they were Devine! Thank you so much for sharing such an easy, delicious recipe! 

It was my first time making these, I’ve always loved them when purchased from Greek stores, but am glad now I can make them myself!

Sounds interesting, I've never been to Greece, but I want to try this recipe

Great Christmas cookies! Simple and easy to prepare ingredients, will try to do it today and save it for the coming Christmas season. Thanks for sharing

It looks very delicious. I will try this. Thanks for sharing!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1513173087/kgxa9ekyoxouieysutjs.mp4

Delicious gooey, caramel-y Greek Christmas honey cookies. There's no way you'll be able to eat just one!

Greek Christmas honey cookies

Συνταγή για μελομακάρονα με ελαιόλαδο και πορτοκάλι. Μελωμένα μελομακάρονα με την παραδοσιακή συνταγή της γιαγιάς. Τραγανά απέξω και μαλακά και ζουμερά από

Μελομακάρονα με ελαιόλαδο και πορτοκάλι

Ελαιόλαδο

Πορτοκάλι

Μέλι

Κανέλα

Melomakarona are soft, oval-shaped Greek cookies scented with orange and cinnamon, drenched in honey syrup and covered with crushed walnuts. Yes, they are irressitable! This recipe makes 60 cookies; they keep well so that you can enjoy them for a while or gift them to family and friends.

Melomakarona Recipe

orange, (zested and cut in half)

honey ((I used Greek honey))

extra virgin olive oil

brandy

orange

nutmeg

½ cups all purpose flour

walnut halves, (finely chopped (chop the walnuts after measuring))

Make the syrup. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, orange, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium-high for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Set the syrup aside to cool completely (do not remove the cinnamon or orange until you are ready to use the syrup).

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the EVOO, brandy, orange juice, orange zest, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Slowly, add the dry flour mixture to the wet olive oil mixture (I added 1/3 of the flour at a time), while mixing with a wooden spoon. Once all the flour has been added, use your hands to knead the dough until smooth (do not overwork the dough).

Prepare a large sheetpan (or two) and line with parchment paper.

Take about 1 ½ tablespoons of the cookie dough and shape it between your palms into an oval shape (like a small egg). Lightly flatten (do not flatten too much) and set on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat, forming the cookies until you have used up all the dough. Line the cookies in the sheet pan, making sure to leave about ½ inch between them.

In the center of each cookie, lightly press the tines of a fork in a crosshatch pattern. The cookies should flatten a tiny bit in the center (but you should not push so hard the cookies become too flat).

Bake on the center rack of your heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes; the cookies should be golden in color but they should not brown too much.

Remove the orange and cinnamon stick from the syrup.

As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, put them in the cold syrup, flipping them around for about 20 to 30 seconds or so (you will need to do this in batches, making sure that all the cookies are able to absorb enough syrup).

With a slotted spoon, remove the cookies from the syrup and arrange them on a tray or directly on your serving dish. Sprinkle each cookie with a generous pinch of the chopped walnuts (pat the walnuts lightly so they will stick to the cookies).

I have used several recipes from this site with great success.  This is the first one that no one liked.  The main comment was that there was no flavor other than the honey.  Will try a different one next time.

For vegan, substitute Agave for Honey. *
We made 30 cookies. Should have made 60 since they are so incredibly delicious!

we added an egg and extra OJ as a substitute for the brandy, do you think it will turn out okay?

These Greek cookies stay fresh up to two weeks, and in fact, get BETTER in the days AFTER you bake them. Savor the warmth of the Mediterranean with every bite of melomakarona flavored with walnuts, spices, orange and honey.

Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona Cookies)

all-purpose flour (plus additional for dusting work surface)

sea salt

unsalted butter, softened (8 tablespoons)

eggs

orange juice (from

orange peel (about 1-inch wide)

walnuts (very finely chopped)

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and cloves.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Reduce speed to medium-low. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just incorporated after each addition. Add oil, orange juice and orange zest; mix until combined.

Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead 1 minute. Transfer dough to large bowl; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. Dough may also be kept in the fridge up to 3 days.

Make Cookie Dough:

In high-sided pan or large pot, stir together orange peel, sugar, honey and water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat and let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and let syrup cool completely at room temperature.

Make Honey Syrup:

In small bowl, stir together walnuts, cinnamon and cloves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For each cookie, take about 1-1/2 tablespoons dough and roll and press it into an oval shape with your hands.

Place cookies on rimmed baking pan, spaced 1-1/2 inches apart; repeat until baking pan is full. Prick tops of cookies with fork 4-5 times so that tine marks are lightly visible. Return remaining dough to refrigerator between batches.

Transfer cookies to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Line a second rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. In batches, transfer hot cookies fresh from the oven to cooled honey syrup. Let them soak 30 seconds, turning halfway through.

Using slotted spoon, transfer cookies to parchment-lined pan (you can put them very close together at this stage). Immediately sprinkle with walnut topping. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, honey syrup and walnut topping.

When completely cool, transfer cookies to airtight containers, with parchment or wax paper between layers (or put each cookie in a paper cupcake wrapper). Cookies will last up to 2 weeks.

Make the Walnut Topping:

First time making these and they turned out so good. You are right about the five day turnaround, they just keep getting better and better. 

I doubled the spices in everything and I baked the cookies a little bit longer so they were a little bit crispy, and that seemed to make all the difference with the syrup soaking in. They still had some substance to them instead of crumbling like a soft cookie.  

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