These sweet little Greek honey cookies are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive! These cookies are incredibly soft, moist, flavorsome and soaked in a delicious honey syrup.
Melomakarona (μελομακάρονα) are traditional Greek Christmas cookies, that are served during Christmas time throughout Greece. The word “melomakarona” is a combination of the two words “meli”, which means honey and “makarona” that comes from the ancient word “makaria” and means blessed. Now, I do realise that we are only April and nowhere near Christmas yet but really…. does it matter? Who needs an excuse to make some delicious bites of goodness?
Serve them over a hot cup of coffee and you will have a match made in heaven!
note:To syrup the melomakarona, the syrup must be cold and the melomakarona hot. This will help the cookies to absorb the syrup and become moist on the inside. So, start by making the syrup first and then the dough. If you are in a hurry you can place the syrup in the refrigerator to cool down, while preparing the dough for the melomakarona.
Makes about 30
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, 1 cup
Sugar, 1/2 cup
Oranges, 2 juiced
Lemon, 1 juiced
Egg yolk, 1
Ouzo liqueur, 1 tablespoon
Self raising flour, 3 cups
Cinnamon, ground 3/4 teaspoon
Walnuts, finely chopped, 1 1/3 cups
Syrup:
Sugar, 1 cup
Honey, 1/2 cup
Water, boiling, 1/2 cup
Cinnamon stick, 1
Cloves, whole, 4
Lemon, juice of 1/2
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper
Using an electric mixer, beat oil, sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy (Start electric mixer on low speed and increase speed as mixture thickens)
Add egg yolk and ouzo Beat for 5 minutes
Sift flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over oil mixture
Fold gently to combine (mixture should be a light, doughy texture)
Using hands, roll tablespoons mixture into oval shapes
Place on prepared trays
Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to touch
Allow to cool on trays
Make syrup
Combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat
Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved
Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium-low
Simmer for 4 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly
Using a slotted spoon, dip cooled biscuits, 1 at a time, into hot syrup for about 30 seconds, turning over often until well coated
Return to trays
Combine walnuts and remaining ground cinnamon
Sprinkle over biscuits
Allow to cool before eating
Bon Appétit!
In South Africa we have a sweet pastry known as a “koeksister” (literally translated as “cake sizzler”). The name comes form the Dutch koek (cake) and sissen (sizzle) – presumably a reference to the sizzling sound they make when being deep fried. You’d be hard-pressed to find a dessert more distinct to the nation’s Western Cape. There are two versions.The Afrikaner version is much more syrupy and crisp, while the Cape Malay version is an oval, fried dumpling with a texture more akin to a cake. Today, I am sharing the Afrikaaner version with you.
For the syrup:
Place the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil
Once the syrup starts to boil, add the lemon juice, rind and ginger and continue to simmer for 10 minutes
Cool the syrup to room temperature
Place the syrup in the fridge in (2 containers) to cool as you need your syrup to be chilled!
For the dough:
Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl and then rub in the butter with your fingertips
Add the beaten ½ egg to the water and whisk to incorporate
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture
Pour in the water mixture and then start to mix until a smooth dough has formed
Knead thoroughly
Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for at least 1 hour
Heat the oil to 160 °C
Using an oiled rolling pin, roll out the dough on an oiled surface to a thickness of 5 mm. Cut the dough into rectangles of 6 x 15 cm
Cut each rectangle lengthways into 3 strips, leaving one side uncut. Plait the 3 strips and press the cut ends together firmly
Fry in batches in the hot oil for 6–7 minutes, or until dark golden brown
Drain them for a few seconds on paper towels
Remove with a slotted spoon and dip the whole cooked koeksister immediately into your chilled syrup – leave 1 container in the fridge
Remember – the koeksister has to be hot and the syrup cold in order for the syrup to be absorbed by the dough!
Remove from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack
The syrup will gradually become hot with use, so when you have done about half of the koeksisters take the remaining syrup from the fridge and use this for the balance
Enjoy!
Note: The colder the syrup the better! Make it the day before and place in the fridge to ensure it is ice cold.