Traditional Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)
Indulge in the delightful taste of Traditional Greek Honey Cookies, known as Melomakarona. These soft, crumbly cookies are infused with aromatic spices and soaked in a luscious syrup, making them a festive treat perfect for any occasion. With their irresistible sweetness and nutty crunch from ground walnuts, they fill your home with the warm scents of the holidays. Easy to make and perfect for sharing, these cookies will impress family and friends alike, whether served at a holiday gathering or enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
Scale
- 125 ml fresh orange juice
- 250 grams olive oil (or half olive oil and half sunflower oil)
- 50 grams honey
- 80 ml water
- 100 grams sugar
- 1 + ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground clove
- ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon vanillin powder or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 orange zested
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 125 grams fine semolina
- 550 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 400 grams sugar (for syrup)
- 100 grams honey (for syrup)
- 325 ml water (for syrup)
- 1 stick of cinnamon (for syrup)
- 4–5 dried cloves (for syrup)
- 1 orange peel (for syrup)
- ground walnuts (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, honey, water, and sugar until well combined.
- Add spices, orange zest, and baking soda; stir until mixed.
- Gradually incorporate fine semolina and flour until you have a smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and shape dough into oval cookies. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Prepare the syrup by boiling sugar, honey, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel for 10 minutes.
- Soak warm cookies in syrup for one minute on each side before garnishing with ground walnuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg