Friday 13 January 2012

Melomakarona!

This year I made little "melomakarona" treats for Christmas. This is a traditional Greek treat. I would describe them as spice biscuits dipped in syrup. We usually add in the dough  or we put on them chopped walnuts. I didn't do this this year, because I like them plain.

This is how the dough looks, because of the oils (check recipe).

Inside the oven...

I let them cool.

The syrup is boiling.

Syrup bath.

This is the outcome (no walnuts)!

The recipe is really easy.

"Melomakarona"

350gr FRESH orange juice
300gr sunflower oil
150gr olive oil
60gr confectioner's sugar
3 tsp cinnamon (or more if you like it more intense)
orange zest from 1 orange (again if you want more, its OK)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
800gr all purpose flour
200gr fine semolina
* you can omit the semolina and add more flour, but it does add to the texture!

Syrup:
500gr water - 800gr sugar - 150gr honey - 1 orange cut in half - cinnamon sticks - cloves

Mix the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients.
Pour the wet into the dry and knead lightly, just to wet the dry ingredients. If you knead too much the oils will not be incorporated in the dough.
Use your hands and form little oval balls, about 30gr of dough for each one.
Bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven on 190oC.
Remove from the oven and let them cool very well.

Boil all the syrup ingredients and let the syrup cool completely. It is better, in my opinion, to make it one day before. You need to have cool with cool. If one of the two is warm, then the melomakarona will absorb too much syrup and will turn out very soft. You don't want that!

Place them on a festive platter and drizzle with honey and walnuts! Ready!

***SPECIAL TIP!!!!
Keep some melomakarona dry to eat as biscuits! Oh, you are so going to love them!

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