Hey there foodie friends,
Here’s the other Christmas cookie I mentioned in my last post, Greek Honey Walnut Cookies (Melomakarona). These soft, syrup-soaked cookies are the heart and soul of the holiday season. They are warm, fragrant, sticky, sweet, and absolutely irresistible. One bite and suddenly the whole house smells like orange and cinnamon. Pssstt One more cookie recipe you might enjoy making:) https://foodzesty.com/snow-coated-vanilla-bourbon-butter-cookies-kourambiedes/
Melomakarona are truly unique in their own way, and here’s why: they’re messy in the best possible, honey-sticky-on-your-fingers kind of way. That is the funniest part of this cookie: needing to wash your hands, looking for a napkin. Imagine having about 15 kids in the house running around, eating Melomakarona, and the Greek mothers yelling, MEEEEEE. (which means DONT) So, of course, it was my mom’s turn one year to host the ladies, with all the kids, 15 of us. And let me tell you… ohhhhh myyyy… The house turned into a Greek holiday screaming war. We all ran around with syrup on our hands, trying to catch each other, sticky handprints on the walls; you kind of got the idea of what was going on. hahahhahah. My mother screaming out my name SOPHIAAAA like it was my fault, I was 9 pfff 🙂
But Melomakarona… ohh Melomakarona was a whole different level of drama. A Greek tragedy? A comedy? Kids sliding around the kitchen floor because someone spilled honey, moms yelling “ΜEEE!!” every three seconds… it was madness. Delicious madness, but still madness. Honestly, thinking back, I don’t know how a single cookie survived that day. I’m surprised we survived that day!
These Christmas cookies get better as the days go on (that’s if there are any left), the syrup sinks into every little crumb, making them even more irresistible. You can bake them days ahead, store them on the counter, and watch them slowly disappear every time someone “casually” walks by the kitchen.
If you’re new to Greek Honey Walnut Cookies, Melomakarona, get ready, these cookies might just become your new holiday tradition. And if you’ve been eating them since childhood like me, enjoy eating and baking these delicious sticky cookies.”
Have a wonderful morning/afternoon/evening, everyone!
Good Luck!!
Greek Honey and Walnut Cookies (Melomakarona)
Ingredients
- 8 ½ cups all-purpose flour shifted
- 1 ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cups orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 orange zest
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp clove ground
- 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon powder
- 1 cup walnuts crushed
- For the syrup
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160
- Add the olive oil and the vegetable oil to a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add in the sugar, cinnamon powder, orange zest, and the ground clove.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sifted flour with the baking powder. Slowly incorporate the flour mix into the oil mix and stir.
- Add the baking soda to the orange juice and mix. Slowly pour the mix into the batter.
- Beat until it turns into dough
- Take a spoonful of batter, shape it into an egg-like shape, and place it on parchment paper lined in your baking pan.
- Once the cookies are shaped, use a fork and make a criss-cross on each cookie with the fork prongs. Place the cookies in the oven for 25 minutes. Set the cookies aside to cool.
- The syrup must be hot, and the cookies must be cold to absorb the syrup.
- Once your cookies have cooled off, start making the syrup. Add the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and two tablespoons of honey. Stir and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Skim away any form that might form.
- Dip the cookies into the syrup and let them soak for about 30 seconds, then remove and garnish with the crushed walnuts.
KALI SAS OREXI!! 🙂
