“Melomakarona”

Cost
Special menu
Difficulty Intermediate
Time
Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 45 mins
Servings 30
Ingredients
  • 670 Flour (soft)
  • 100 Semolina (thin)
  • 1 Baking Powder (small envelope)
  • 1 Orange (some juice and a tea spoon of the peel)
  • 200 grams Olive Oil
  • 200 grams Oil (light)
  • 1/2 cups Sugar
  • 1/3 cups Brandy
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (powder and 2 sticks)
  • 1/2 teaspoons Clove
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • For the syrup
  • 300 grams Honey
  • 300 grams Sugar
  • 300 grams Water
  • 1/2 Orange (its skin)
Instructions
    For the syrup
  1. In a pot add some water, sugar, honey, 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 pieces out of the orange peel.

    Heat it until it boils once and then lower the fire in half. 

    Stir every once in a while and cook it for 78 minutes until the sugar and honey melt completely.

    Pull away form the fire and after straining it, move it to another pot so that our syrup cools down faster.

  2. For the melomakarona
  3. In a big bowl or a mixer, put the sugar, brandy, two different types of oil, cinnamon and clover. 

    In a small glass, pour the orange juice and add some baking soda.

    Stir and as it start foaming up, add it to the rest of your ingredients.

  4. Start working what is going to be your dough with the mixer or using your hands until the dough turns into one but is not yet stiff. 

  5. Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven at 180C degrees on the air setting.

    Give the melomakarona the shape you want to and place them keeping some distance between them as they will grow bigger, after you either spread a good amount of oil on your pan or use some cooking paper so that they don't stick.

    Bake them for 20-30 minutes on the middle rack in the oven until they turn brown.

  6. Once the syrup is completely cool, deep your melomakarona while they're still hot in for 5-10 seconds and then place them on a plate.

  7. Ετοιμάζουμε σε ένα μπολάκι κανέλα, λίγο γαρίφαλο και καρύδι σπασμένο και πασπαλίζουμε τα σιροπιασμένα μελομακάρονα απευθείας ή όταν τα σερβίρουμε.

    Και του χρόνου, γεια στα χέρια σας!

Notes
  • You could skip the syrup and enjoy them as plane biscuits.
  • You could dip them in glaze, if you prefer to or white, black or milk chocolate.
  • You could also add walnuts to the recipe by making a dip to the dough and adding the filling there. 
  • You could replace syrup with drizzling your melomakarona with honey and sprinkling some walnuts on top.

Melomakarona are a true must when it comes to New years and Christmas menus either the traditional way or not. If you want ot learn more on this Christmas desert, take a look on my Melomakarona and tradition article.

Χριστίνα Κόρδα
Christina

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