Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies) for Guaranteed Success

Name: Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies) for Guaranteed Success
Yield: 40 pieces
Ingredients: 1 cup water (250 ml); 2 cups sugar (400 grams); 5 tablespoons honey (75 ml); 1-2 cinnamon sticks; 2 whole cloves; 1/2 orange; 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 grams); 2/3 cup fine semolina (100 grams); 3/4 cup orange juice (200 ml); 3/4 cup vegetable oil (200 ml); 1/3 cup olive oil (90 ml); 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (25 grams); Zest of 1 orange; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; Chopped walnuts and honey for serving

Dimitra Lagoudaki @dilagouda_21

This recipe is from Akis Petretzikis and these are the most delicious and successful melomakarona! I’ve been making them every Christmas for the past few years and everyone enjoys them with admiration! They’re crisp and cookie-like, yet also soaked in syrup and juicy. The secret is probably in the semolina and the cold syrup when they come out hot from the oven. I made half the batch because 40 pieces is already plenty. If you want, double the quantities. Try it once and you’ll be convinced of their success and deliciousness!

Dimitra Lagoudaki @dilagouda_21

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Ingredients

40 pieces

For the syrup:
1 cupwater (250 ml)
2 cupssugar (400 grams)
5 tablespoonshoney (75 ml)
1-2cinnamon sticks
2whole cloves
1/2orange
For mixture 1:
4 cupsall-purpose flour (500 grams)
2/3 cupfine semolina (100 grams)
For mixture 2:
3/4 cuporange juice (200 ml)
3/4 cupvegetable oil (200 ml)
1/3 cupolive oil (90 ml)
3 tablespoonspowdered sugar (25 grams)
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
1/4 teaspoonground cloves
1/8 teaspoonground nutmeg
1-2 teaspoonsground cinnamon
Chopped walnuts and honey for serving

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Steps

1

Make the syrup 3-4 hours before the cookies so it has time to cool. Boil all the syrup ingredients except the honey for 5 minutes. Add the honey at the end and let it cool. I used half an orange, cut in half, for extra flavor.
2

Whisk together all the ingredients for mixture 2. In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for mixture 1 with a spoon. Combine the two mixtures and knead lightly for just a few seconds—overworking the dough will make the cookies less crisp.
3

Shape the dough into small balls and form them into your desired shape, festive or simple. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes.
4

As soon as you take them out of the oven, dip them directly into the cold syrup. Leave them in for just a few seconds!
5

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and drizzle with honey. Enjoy!