Melomakarona – Greek Honey Christmas Cookies

Melomakarona are traditional Greek Honey Christmas cookies, soaked in a sweet syrup and topped with chopped walnuts. Why not try a my melomakarona recipe for your cookie exchange this year?

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Christmas wouldn’t be well, Christmas, without the ubiquitous mince pie and a big batch of Gingerbread cookies. You’d probably be very hard pressed to find a single solitary mince pie in Greece where I grew up however.

Instead of mince pies we have kourabiethes and melomakarona – two traditional Greek recipes that are completely inescapable during the festive season.

Most households have a their own melomakarona recipe passed down the generations. Every year large batches of these cookies get baked, exchanged, gifted and nibbled round the clock for a few weeks come December.

What are Melomakarona?

Melomakarona (μελομακάρονα) translates as ‘honey macaroons’. The cookie dough is made with olive oil, butter, flour and warming festive spices.

These unassuming cookies are then soaked in honey syrup and and topped with chopped walnuts – HELLO, HEAVEN!

They keep very well for a couple of weeks, their taste actually improving over time. I think they must be one of the very first recipes I helped my yiayia make – I have distinct memories of rolling the dough in my hands and pressing it against a box grater to create a little pattern on the top.

Grocery List

Here’s what you will need to make this festive Greek recipe. The cookie dough can be made in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer.

• Sugar, honey, water, orange peel and cinnamon stick for the syrup
• Light olive oil
• Softened butter or margarine
• Orange zest and juice
• Brandy or rum
• Ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
• Plain / All-purpose flour plus baking powder and baking soda
• Chopped nuts to top

HOW TO MAKE MELOMAKARONA

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

MAKE THE SYRUP

Put all the honey syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Discard any foam that forms on top of the syrup, the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Keep the syrup warm until cookies are ready.

Prepare the melomakarona

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line two large baking trays with silicone mats.
Put the oil, butter, sugar and all the spices in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat together with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes.

Mix the orange juice, alcohol, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – the mixture will fizz and froth. Add it to the mixing bowl together with the salt and orange zest and beat together on medium. Gradually add the flour until a pliable dough forms. You might need to add a little more if the dough is too soft.

Roll the cookies into small balls (size of a walnut). Press to an oval shape, roll and press against a cheese grater to add a bit of texture. Place on the trays, slightly spaced apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes until evenly colored and firm.

Soak the cookies in the syrup

Remove from the oven and drop them, a few at a time, into the syrup for 1-2 minutes, flipping them over to soak evenly. Continue until all the cookies are soaked in the syrup.

Layer the cookies on a platter, spoon any remaining syrup over them and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and cinnamon (if using). Keep at room temperature, loosely covered with foil.

MELOMAKARONA VARIATIONS

If you like, you can stuff your honey cookies with dates and walnuts although I much prefer the plain version.

Since melomakarona cookies are actually vegan (provided you use margarine instead of butter) you can easily make a vegan version. Simply replace the honey in the syrup with golden syrup or agave syrup.

HAVE YOU MADE MY MELOMAKARONA RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!

Melomakarona – Greek Christmas Honey Cookies

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Melomakarona – these Greek Christmas Honey Cookies soaked in honey syrup and topped with chopped nuts are sticky and totally irresisitble!

4.63 from 8 votes

Print Rate

Course: Christmas cookies

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Greek Christmas Honey Cookies, Melomakarona Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 30 -40 cookies

Calories: 197kcal

Ingredients

For the syrup

• ▢ 250 ml (1 cup) water
• ▢ 225 g (1 cup) sugar granulated
• ▢ 300 g (1 cup) honey mild tasting honey or agave syrup
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 1 piece orange peel

For the melomakarona

• ▢ 120 ml (½ cup) light olive oil
• ▢ 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter or vegan baking spread
• ▢ 115 g ( ½ cup) sugar caster or granulated
• ▢ 60 ml (¼ cup) orange juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 60 ml (¼ cup) cognac rum or brandy
• ▢ 1 orange zest only
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ▢ ½ tsp ground cloves
• ▢ pinch nutmeg
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 500 g (4 cups + 2 tbsp) plain flour or as needed

Topping

• ▢ 150 g (1 cup) walnuts finely chopped
• ▢ 125 g (1 cup) pistachio nuts finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tbsp cinnamon optional
• ▢ 1 tbsp rose petals completely optional – they just look pretty

Instructions

Make the syrup

• Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan, stir together then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Discard any foam that forms on top of the syrup.
  
• Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Keep the syrup warm until the cookies are ready.

Prepare the cookies

• Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Line two large baking trays with silicone mats or baking parchment.
• Put the oil, butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat together with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes. Alternatively you can use an electric hand mixer.
• Mix the orange juice, brandy, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – the mixture will fizz and froth.
  
• Add it to the mixing bowl together with the salt and orange zest and beat together on medium. Gradually add the flour until the dough forms a ball – you can also fold it in by hand. Once the cookies hold their shape you can stop adding flour. Only use as much as you need.
  
• Roll the cookies into small balls (size of a walnut). Press to an oval shape, roll and press against a cheese grater to add a bit of texture. Place on the trays, slightly spaced apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes until evenly colored and firm.
  

Soak in the syrup

• Remove from the oven and drop them, a few at a time, into the simmering syrup for 1-2 minutes, flipping them over to soak evenly. Continue until all the cookies are used up.
  
• Layer the cookies on a platter, spoon any remaining syrup over them and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and cinnamon (if using). Keep at room temperature, loosely covered with foil.

Video

Nutritional Info

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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