Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies)

Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies)

Melomakarona are traditional Greek Christmas cookies that are baked until golden, soaked in a honey syrup and topped with crushed walnuts. Their rich, spiced flavor and sticky-sweet glaze make them a festive favorite during the holiday season.

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Prep Time:15

Cook Time:25

Total Time:40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Christmas, Cookies, Honey, Walnuts

Servings: cookies

Calories: 264kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Syrup

500 mL water
800 g granulated sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
1 orange cut in half
150 g honey

For the Melomakarona

1000 g all-purpose flour
200 g semolina flour fine
350 mL orange juice
400 mL vegetable oil
180 mL olive oil
50 mL cognac
50 g powdered sugar
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
zest of an orange

For Serving

honey
chopped walnuts

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Instructions

Making the Syrup

Combine water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and the orange in a sauce pan.
500 mL water, 800 g granulated sugar, 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 whole cloves, 1 orange
Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar melts.
Remove from heat, and stir in the honey.
150 g honey
Let the syrup cool to room temperature. *See Note 1.

Making the Melomakarona

Preheat oven to 375℉ (350℉ for a convection oven). *See Note 2.
In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour and semolina flour and stir to combine.
1000 g all-purpose flour, 200 g semolina flour
In another large bowl, add orange juice, orange zest, vegetable oil, olive oil, cognac, powdered sugar, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and baking soda. Whisk until combined. *See Note 3.
350 mL orange juice, 400 mL vegetable oil, 180 mL olive oil, 50 mL cognac, 50 g powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp baking soda, zest of an orange
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix by hand until combined. Do not over work the dough.
Using about 35g (~a heaping tablespoon) of dough, shape into ovals and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Texturize the top of the cookies by pushing lightly on the tops with a fork.
Bake for 25-27 minutes, until they are golden brown.
As soon as they are done baking, place the hot cookies in the room-temperature syrup for 30-60 seconds turning to coat. *See Note 4.
Remove the cookies with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack to drain.
Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
honey, chopped walnuts

Notes

Note 1 - Syrup: The syrup MUST be cooled to room temperature or the Melomakarona will not properly absorb te syrup. The syrup can be made a day ahead of time.

Note 2 - Convection Oven Setting: If you have a convection setting on your oven, I highly recommend using it for these cookies. It helps create a crispy exterior and soft interior for the perfect melomakarona. Be sure to check the bottom of the cookies toward the end of baking so they don't burn.

Note 3 - Cognac: If you prefer to omit the cognac, simply substitute it with orange juice for a total of 400 mL of orange juice.

Note 4 - Dipping the Cookies: We prefer our melomakarona to sit in the syrup closer to the 60-120 second mark to absorb all the sweetness and flavor of the syrup.

Nutrition

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