Description
Melomakarona are traditional Greek honey cookies, beloved during the holidays for their moist texture and rich flavors of orange, cinnamon, and cloves. These oval-shaped cookies are soaked in a warm honey syrup and topped with cinnamon-spiced walnuts, delivering a perfect balance of sweetness and spice in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fine semolina
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Syrup
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange peel
Topping
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and dry ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, baking soda, baking powder, ground cloves, and ground cinnamon to combine all dry ingredients evenly.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest, vegetable oil, olive oil, granulated sugar, brandy, and vanilla extract. Stir these together until well mixed.
- Form the dough: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon or by hand until a soft dough forms. Take care not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape cookies: Shape the dough into oval cookies approximately 2 inches long and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they turn golden brown on the edges and firm to the touch.
- Make the syrup: While the cookies bake, prepare the syrup by combining honey, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and discard the cinnamon stick and orange peel.
- Syrup soak: When the cookies come out of the oven, dip each warm cookie into the hot syrup for about 10 to 15 seconds, ensuring they soak it up but do not become soggy. Place the syrup-coated cookies on a wire rack to drain excess syrup.
- Add topping: Immediately sprinkle the cookies generously with chopped walnuts mixed with ground cinnamon while they’re still moist from the syrup.
- Cool and serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the wire rack so the syrup sets. Enjoy them fresh or let them rest overnight to deepen the flavor as the syrup fully absorbs.
Notes
- Melomakarona taste even better the day after baking as the honey syrup fully soaks into the cookies.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks to maintain freshness and texture.
- For a vegan version, substitute maple syrup for honey and ensure the sugar is plant-based to avoid animal products.
