Melomakarona

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 mlolive oil
• 150 mlorange juice
• 100 mlbrandy or cognac
• 150 gsugar
• 800 gplain flour
• 150 gfine semolina
• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 2 tspbaking powder
• grated zest of 2 oranges
• 1 tspcinnamon
• ½ tspground clove
• ½ tspgrated nutmeg

Syrup

• 500 gsugar
• 500 mlwater
• 300 ghoney
• 1cinnamon stick
• 4cloves
• a strip of orange peel

To finish

• 250 gwalnuts, finely chopped
• 1 tspcinnamon

Directions

1. Make the syrup first and let it go completely cold, because the timing at the end depends on it.
2. Boil the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cloves and orange peel for 5 minutes, then take it off the heat and stir in the honey. Strain the syrup and let it cool completely, which takes an hour or more.
3. Whisk the olive oil, sugar, orange juice, brandy and zest together until the sugar has dissolved. Use a good fruity olive oil.
4. Mix the flour, semolina, baking powder and spices, then add them to the wet mixture. Now bring it together with your hands, and stop the moment it forms a dough. Take walnut-sized pieces and shape them into ovals, pressing the top lightly with a fork or a grater to mark it.
5. Set them on lined trays with a little space between and bake at 180°C (355°F) for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake them dry and firm, right through. They should be deep golden and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
6. Drop the hot biscuits straight from the oven into the cold syrup, a few at a time. Turn them after 20 seconds and leave them a further 20 seconds, no longer. Under a minute in total. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, letting the syrup drain, and set them on a rack over a tray.
7. Sprinkle each one with chopped walnuts and cinnamon while it is still wet. Top them wet, or the walnuts will not stick at all. Leave them several hours before eating, so the syrup settles right through.

Technique

• They keep two weeks in a covered tin and improve for the first few days.
• Kourabiedes are the buttery sugar-dusted counterpart, and Greek households make both.
• They are naturally dairy-free and often vegan, which suits the Advent fast.

Substitutions

• Any mild olive oil, or half olive and half sunflower for a milder biscuit.
• Orange juice for the brandy, which most families with children do.

Variations

• Filled with a walnut mixture in the centre.
• Dipped in dark chocolate, which is a modern favourite.
• Made with more semolina, for a coarser crumb.

History

Baked in Greek homes through December; the name links them to the ancient funerary makaria cake.

Frequently asked questions

What is Melomakarona?

Melomakarona is a dessert from Greece: spiced honey and orange biscuits drenched in syrup and walnut crumbs. Baked in Greek homes through December; the name links them to the ancient funerary makaria cake.

How long does Melomakarona take to make?

Melomakarona takes 40 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 40. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Melomakarona?

Yes, within limits. Any mild olive oil, or half olive and half sunflower for a milder biscuit. Orange juice for the brandy, which most families with children do.