Mediterranean🍰 Sweets & drinks

Greek Honey Cinnamon Cookies (Melomakarona)

Name: Greek Honey Cinnamon Cookies (Melomakarona)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2½ cups granulated sugar; 2½ cups water; 1 cinnamon stick; orange peel; 2 cups honey; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 3½ cups all-purpose flour; ¾ cups fine semolina flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 2 orange zest; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground cloves; 1 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; ¾ cups fresh orange juice; ½ tsp baking soda; ¾ cups ground walnuts; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground cloves

⏱ 75 min

Traditional Greek Christmas cookies made with spiced dough, baked and soaked in a warm honey and cinnamon syrup, then topped with spiced ground walnuts. Can be cut into festive shapes like snowflakes or Christmas trees. These cookies are moist, sweet, and rich with honey flavor.

Adapted from a video by Dimitra's Dishes

Greek Christmas Cookies: Melomakarona (Trees & Stars)

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

granulated sugar2½ cups
water2½ cups
cinnamon sticklarge1
orange peel
honey2 cups
pure vanilla extract1 tsp
all-purpose flouror 500g3½ cups
fine semolina flouror 150g

Steps

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1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2
Make the syrup: Combine granulated sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture boils and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add honey and vanilla extract, stir well, and set aside to cool.
3
Prepare the walnut topping: Pulse ground walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add ground cinnamon and cloves, pulse a few more times until well combined. Transfer to a bowl.
4
Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and orange zest in a large bowl.
5
Combine wet ingredients: Whisk together light olive oil (or vegetable oil), granulated sugar, fresh orange juice, vanilla extract, and baking soda in another bowl.
6
Combine dough: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking first, then switching to hands or a spatula. Be careful not to overmix, as this can release too much oil and make the cookies greasy. Mix until the dough just comes together.
7
Roll out the dough: Compress the dough and form it into a circle, then roll out to approximately ½ inch thick without using additional flour.
8
Cut cookies: Use favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes (snowflakes, Christmas trees, or any shape you prefer). Place on parchment-lined baking trays, leaving space between cookies. Use a fork to make holes on top of each cookie for a decorative pattern.
9
Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Switch the trays halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
10
Soak in syrup: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, squeeze them into one tray and pour the hot syrup over them. After about 10 minutes, carefully flip each cookie so both sides absorb the syrup. Pour any remaining syrup over the top. Let the cookies rest in the pan for at least 1 hour to absorb the syrup completely.
11
Garnish and serve: Once completely cooled, gently flip the cookies over and transfer to a serving platter or storage container. Sprinkle the spiced walnut mixture over each cookie. Optionally decorate with edible star decorations.

Greek Honey Cinnamon Cookies (Melomakarona)

Ingredients

Steps

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