This is a fantastic traditional recipe for Greek Christmas cookies with olive oil, honey, walnuts and cinnamon.
Ingredients:
500 grams of flour for all purpose
250 grams of olive oil
½ cup sugar
½ glass orange juice
2 tablespoons of cognac (brandy)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
(100 grams of walnuts, chopped and a little more cinnamon for sprinkle at the end)
For the syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup water
Directions:
Beat together olive oil, sugar, orange juice and cognac. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the oil mixture and knead gently. Pinch off small portions of dough the size of an egg and form into little patties. Roll them to make oblong rolls. Place on the baking tray and bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes. Boil honey, sugar and water for 5 minutes. Pour syrup over "melomakarona." Allow to soak for 2-3 hours, take them out of the syrup and place on large plate. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Makes about 25 pieces.
Tip:
You can preserve them in a storage box for a very long time... at least one month! Add one tablespoon of roasted sesame (rub in blender to become powder) in the mixture of walnuts and cinnamon. This will give a special flavor to your cookies.
For more recipes by Katerina, visit www.oliveoil-culture.com