Cookies and milk are a common offering for Santa on Christmas Eve. At our house Santa often forges the customary milk for a small glass of radiant, amber coloured Mextaxa 12 Brandy with aromas of orange peel and spices. A neat glass of Santa’s favourite tipple is best matched with the classic Greek Christmas treat, Melomakrona – spiced, honey soaked and walnut dusted cookies.
Melomakrona
Μελομακάρονα
Ingredients
- 3 & 1/2 cups of plain flour
- 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup sugar preferably organic
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1/2 tsp cloves ground
- 1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped
Syrup
- 1/2 cup Greek honey
- 3 cloves cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 & 1/2 cups of water
- 1/2 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp orange zest
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 175C. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside.
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Combine wet ingredients in large bowl. Dissolve sugar in orange juice then drizzle in the olive oil, whisking well.
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Create a small well in the dry ingredients and to that add the wet ingredients, mix gently until just combined. It’s really important not to over mix or knead - the cookies will become tough. Allow dough to rest for at 30 minutes.
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Using a tablespoon, take a scoop of dough and roll between your hands into an egg like shape. Lay on pan lined with baking paper and press down gently with the back of a fork until cookie is a little less than 1/2 an inch thick and oblong in shape.
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Bake at 175C for 30 minutes until edges are just golden brown. Remove from pan and dip hot cookie into hot syrup. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.
To make the syrup
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While the cookies are baking, combine all syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan over a low heat for 10-15 minutes to incorporate. Stir occasionally.
