Sticky Greek Honey Cookies
This ancient Greek recipe for Sticky Honey Cookies, or traditionally known as Melomakarona, is typically prepared around the winter holiday season. The orange, warm spices, honey, and walnuts combine ever so delightfully into a cookie that you will most certainly be reaching for seconds of!
YIELD: approx. 25 cookies
INGREDIENTS
For the cookies:
6 fl. oz olive oil
3 fl. oz orange juice
50 g granulated sugar
35 g crushed walnuts
2 tsp honey
1 tsp orange zest
285 g Sonora flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
For the syrup:
1 ½ cups honey
¼ cup water
Crushed walnuts, to sprinkle
Sesame seeds, to sprinkle
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, orange juice, sugar, crushed walnuts, honey, and orange zest.
3. In a second bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and knead with your hands to incorporate.
5. Using one tablespoon of dough, roll into oval shapes, flatten slightly and place onto the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool before proceeding.
7. Once the cookies are cooled, make the honey syrup: combine the honey and water in a saucepan and heat until simmering. Once combined, set mixture aside and allow to cool until lukewarm.
8. Dip your cookies in the warm syrup, coating both sides.9. Lift gently out of the syrup and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle tops of cookies with crushed walnuts and sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining cookies.