Melomakarona Recipe: Greek Christmas Biscuits
Christmas in Greece, like every other celebration - Easter, weddings, Tuesdays - is all about food! These delicious μελομακάρονα are the perfect little festive sweet treat.
Melomakarona are thought to have derived from the ancient delicacy, makaria, which were eaten during funerals. Changes to the recipe and the addition of dipping them in honey inspired the name melomakarona, made up of the Greek word for honey “meli” and “makaria”.
Made with honey, orange, and cinnamon, they are guaranteed to make your home smell like Christmas!
Ingredients:
Makes approx. 50 biscuits
For the syrup
300 ml water
600 g sugar
10 tbsp honey
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
1 orange, cut in half
For the biscuits
150 g fine semolina
550 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
75 ml orange juice
3 tbsp cognac (brandy will also work - if you are looking to omit alcohol, add an extra 50ml of orange juice)
100 g sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp baking soda
75 ml water
120 ml olive oil
120 ml vegetable/sunflower oil
3 tbsp honey (Greek honey, if you can get it)
zest of 2 oranges
To serve
honey
200 g chopped walnuts
Method:
Start off by making the syrup, adding all the ingredients apart from the honey to a saucepan and bringing it to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the honey and set it aside to cool completely.
Now it’s time to make our biscuit dough. Add the semolina, flour, and baking powder to a bowl and whisk to combine.
In another bowl, add the orange juice, sugar, and spices and mix. Add in the baking soda and whisk for 5-10 seconds until everything combines and it starts to foam. Pour in the water, the oil, the orange zest, and the honey, and whisk to combine.
Add the mixture from step 2 into the bowl with the ingredients from step 3 and begin kneading the dough with your hands until the ingredients combine, ensuring you don’t overwork it. The dough will be ready when it is smooth but still a little sticky.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Take a walnut-sized piece of dough (about 30g) and, using your palms, shape it into an oval. Place on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Continue with the rest of the dough - you will need several baking trays, or you can bake them in batches.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes until the melomakarona are golden brown and cooked through.
Once out of the oven, dip them immediately in the syrup using a slotted spoon, letting them absorb the syrup for around 10 seconds. Remove and place on a wire rack, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Store the melomakarona in an airtight container at room temperature.
Enjoy with a cup of coffee.
Καλά Χριστούγεννα!
Written by Vicky Balaktsoglou
Victorianna Balaktsoglou is a content marketer turned supply languages teacher based in Milton Keynes, but hailing from the much sunnier Athens, Greece. A keen linguist and craft enthusiast, she is passionate about body positivity, gender equality, football and good food.
