Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)

Beginner Cook - Lengthy Cooking Time - Baked Goods - Desserts - Vegetarian

Greek honey cookies or "melomakarona" are a staple in Greek homes during the holidays. The flavors of cinnamon, clove, orange, nuts, and honey suit the season perfectly. Living in the south and wanting to give these cookies a local twist, I substituted the walnuts and brandy for pecans and Carolina whiskey. They're wonderful in the morning or afternoon with a cup of coffee and can keep for months stored in a cookie tin or tupperware.

Ingredients (Yield about 36 cookies)

For the cookies

• 7.5 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2.5 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup whiskey or brandy
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground clove
• Half an orange

For the crumbled nuts

• 1 cup pecans or walnuts
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove

For the syrup

• 2 cups water (divided into 1.5 and 1/2 cups)
• 1.25 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• Half a cinnamon stick
• Half a lemon

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Time - 3 hours

• Preparation - 90 minutes
• Baking (350 degrees) - 90 minutes

Preparation

• Wash and grate the peel of the half orange into a large mixing bowl
• Combine the baking soda and orange juice in a glass and stir until it begins to foam and add to the bowl
• Combine the whiskey or brandy with the baking powder in a glass, stir well, and add to the bowl
• Add the sugar, ground cinnamon, ground clove, and olive oil

• Add the first six cups of flour and mix by hand. Add the remaining flour one half cup at a time until the dough reaches a soft consistency like play doh. While the recipe calls for 7.5 cups of flour, depending on the brand used, humidity, etc. you may find you need slightly more or less flour
• Set the dough aside to rest for 30-60 minutes. While the dough is resting, you may notice a slight separation between the olive oil and the dough. This is normal

• While the dough is resting, prepare the nuts by placing one cup of pecans or walnuts in a blender and blending them until finely chopped
• Mix the chopped nuts with the ground cinnamon and clove

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Begin forming the dough into slightly larger than golf ball sized ovals
• Indent the top of the cookies with a fork

• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the cookies for 20 minutes until a light golden brown

• Once all of the cookies are baked, set aside and prepare the syrup by combining the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon (remove the seeds and squeeze to release the juice) in a large pot
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring the syrup until the sugar has fully dissolved

• Reduce to medium heat once the syrup reaches a boil and slow boil for 10 minutes
• After 10 minutes, begin submerging the cookies in the syrup for 30-45 seconds. The cookies will float. As such, you will need to press them down into the syrup with a wooden spoon or other utensil to ensure they are fully submerged
• As the syrup boils, it will thicken. About half way through dipping the cookies, you will need to add 1/2 cup of water to the syrup to thin it out. Bring back to a slow boil and continue submerging the cookies

• Remove the cookies with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving tray

• Top the warm cookies with the ground nuts
• Once cool, they are ready for you to enjoy