These amazingly aromatic cookies are a traditional Greek Christmas treat. Fill your festive home the with aromas of orange, honey, cinnamon, and cloves and ... enjoy!!!
Prepare the syrup: In a deep pot, heat water and sugar over medium heat for 5 minutes (from the moment it starts to boil), stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add honey and mix until combined. Let the syrup cool down for 2 hours.
Mix the oil and sugar using a hand whisk. Dissolve the baking soda into 1/2 cup of orange juice. Add all ingredients except flour and semolina into a large bowl. Mix gently, using a hand whisk. Mix 1,5 kg of the flour with the semolina in a separate bowl.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients, kneading gently with your hands for a short time until a soft dough forms.
Preheat oven (190 °C fan). Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the dough into oval cookies , 3-4 cm long, about 30 g each. Use a spider utensil to make the traditional pattern on the upper side of each cookie.
Place cookies on the baking sheet and bake on the lower rack for 20-25 mins until golden brown . Remove from oven.
Soak the hot cookies, using the spider utensil, in the cold syrup for 15 seconds (counting aloud from 1 to 16!). Remove and allow them to drain on a wire rack for some minutes. Arrange on a serving platter.
Grind the walnuts in a food processor. Mix with sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the decoration mixture over the surface of melomakarona cookies.
Kallisti wants to thank you for visiting "A cat in my kitchen!" blog.