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Melomakarona Greek Honey Christmas Cookies Recipe

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4.1 from 23 reviews

Melomakarona are traditional Greek honey Christmas cookies with a soft, spiced dough soaked in a fragrant honey syrup and topped with a walnut mixture. These festive treats combine citrus, cinnamon, and cloves, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and warm spices that make them a holiday favorite.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter (melted)
  • 1 1/2 cups oil (safflower, canola, or light olive oil)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice (freshly squeezed or bottled, pulp free)
  • Zest from 2 oranges
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp ground cloves
  • 10 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Syrup Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 3 cups water
  • Rind from 1 orange
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 8-10 whole cloves

Walnut Topping

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside for baking.
  2. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, oil, and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until well incorporated. Then add orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and ground cloves, mixing thoroughly to create a fragrant spiced mixture.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients & Form Dough: In a separate large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients one cup at a time until a soft dough forms. You might not need all the flour; stop adding when the dough is easy to handle and holds its shape.
  4. Shape Cookies: Roll out the dough on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes or form dough into 2-inch ovals by hand. Arrange the shaped cookies on prepared baking sheets, spaced apart.
  5. Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on size, until they turn golden brown. Remove from oven when done.
  6. Make the Syrup: While cookies bake, prepare the syrup by combining sugar, honey, water, orange rind, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves in a large heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup infuse; discard the rind, cinnamon sticks, and cloves just before soaking cookies.
  7. Soak Cookies: When cookies are out of the oven, immediately dip them in the warm syrup in batches of 6-8 cookies. Let each batch soak for about 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and transfer to a tray to drain and cool.
  8. Prepare Walnut Topping: Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped. In a bowl, mix chopped walnuts with sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves to create the topping.
  9. Finish and Serve: Sprinkle the walnut mixture generously over the soaked cookies. Serve and enjoy these delicious Melomakarona warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Use fresh or pulp-free orange juice for the best flavor.
  • Do not overbake cookies; they should remain tender inside with a golden crust.
  • Syrup temperature is important when soaking – the syrup should be warm, not hot, to ensure even absorption.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container; they keep well and actually improve in flavor after a day or two.
  • Can be made ahead and stored for up to a week.

Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/melomakarona-greek-honey-christmas-cookies-recipe/