A traditional Greek staple during the holidays, these cookies ooze with golden syrup and are just what you need to get your house smelling like Christmas.
Ingredients:
- For the cookies:
- 1/3 cup cognac
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup ground walnuts (reserve some for the end)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (you may need a bit more)
- 1/2 tsp clove
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- For the syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup water
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Lemon peel
Instructions:
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
- Add your spices to the mixture.
- In another bowl, mix the olive oil and sugar with a whisk until the sugar dissolves.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice and pour it into the oil.
- To the sugar mixture add the cognac, orange zest, and ground walnuts.
- Gradually add your mixed dry ingredients.
- Start kneading the dough by hand. The dough should be soft, pliable, and quite oily.
- Shape the melomakarona in the form a small egg and place on a baking sheet, leaving some space between them.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 25 minutes until they turn golden brown.
- Allow them to cool completely.
For the Syrup:
- Boil all your syrup ingredients over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the syrup to very low heat and slowly dip the cooled cookies, until they’re fully coated.
- Arrange them on a plate and sprinkle your left-over finely chopped walnuts.
- Enjoy!
Source: Argiro Barbarigou
