My Greek neighbor, in Price, used to make these.‏ Actually, I had a Greek neighbor on each side of me. One had married an Italian so her surname did not sound Greek but she was certainly a cook of Greek food. Great food.

Now that my sis, Laurel, is married to a Greek, she makes all of these wonderful foods herself.

It just wasn't Christmas without these cookies.

Melomakarona - Honey Cookies with Walnuts

Though the name is hard to pronounce, Melomakarona (meh-loh-mah-KAH-roh-nah) are delicious and not very hard to make and are also known as Finikia (fee-NEE-kya), If I were pressed to name one Greek cookie that reminds me of Christmas, this would be it. This is an oil-based cookie recipe that produces moist cake-like cookies flavored with orange juice and brandy flavoring that are bathed in a sweet honey syrup and topped with chopped walnuts. YUM!

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of one orange
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. brandy flavoring
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnuts, ground coarsely
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
For the syrup:
1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 whole cloves
1-2-inch piece lemon rind
1 tsp. lemon juice

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, using your fingers, combine the orange zest with the sugar – rubbing the grains as if you were playing with sand to release the orange oils into the sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the oil with the orange sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the orange juice and brandy flavoring to mixer and mix well. Slowly incorporate the flour cup by cup until the mixture forms a dough that is not too loose but not quite firm either. It will be dense and wet but not sticky. Once the flour is incorporated fully stop mixing. To roll cookies, pinch a portion of dough off about the size of a walnut. Shape in your palms into a smooth oblong shape, almost like a small egg. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape and roll cookies until the sheet is filled. Press the tines of a large fork in a crosshatch pattern in the center of each cookie. This will flatten them slightly in the center. The cookies should resemble lightly flattened ovals when they go in the oven. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes until lightly browned. (The cookies will darken when submerged in syrup.) While the cookies are baking, prepare the syrup. In a saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind and stir in lemon juice. Place the ground walnuts in a shallow plate or bowl next to the stove top. When the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still very warm, carefully float the cookies in the syrup and allow the cookies to absorb syrup on both sides. Using a fork or small spatula, remove the cookie from the syrup and place on a platter or plate. Press ground walnuts lightly into the tops of the cookies (syrup will help it adhere) and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Do not refrigerate Melomakarona as they will harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.



Melomakarona - Honey Cookies with Walnuts
Ingredients:
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light vegetable oil
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large oranges, juice of (strained)
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 cups all-purpose flour (do not use self-rising, it has salt)
3/4 cup very finely chopped english walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon, mixed with the nuts

syrup
1 1/2 cups honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream butter and oil until completely mixed, add confectioner's sugar, add orange juice slowly, add vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, add 2 cups flour and beat, add two more cups flour, and then add the rest. You may not need all of the flour, just don't let it get too thick, knead the dough lightly in the bowl. Using teaspoon, scoop out some of the dough and roll in your palms and flatten slightly in your hands. Bake at 350 for 25 minute and cool. Boil syrup ingredients for 5 minute in LARGE saucepan, as it will foam up, then dip each cake (I do several at one time) in the saucepan, turning a couple of times with a wooden spoon, place the cookies on waxed paper and sprinkle with walnut and cinnamon mixture. Cool completely before storing. Best stored in tins. These cookies will keep in tins for a couple of months, but I can't stay out of them long enough to last that long!