Greek Christmas Cookies – Melomakarona

Melomarkarona are traditional Greek Christmas Cookies made with olive oil, and flavored with orange, cinnamon, cloves, honey, and topped with walnuts.

For this post, I am following a recipe by Diane Kochilas, adapted from her book, The Country Cooking of Greece.

In an electric mixer with the whisk, beat the olive oil with 1 cup of sugar at medium-high speed until creamy. This may take a while. ( I did not add mastiha or mastic crystals in this recipe.) Be very careful not to splatter everything everywhere like I did, including the beautiful cookbook.)

Dilute the baking soda in the orange juice. Add the orange juice mixture, and water to the olive oil–sugar mixture, and whisk for 30 seconds. Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment, and add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough takes shape. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Shape the dough into oblong mounds, about 2 inches long by 1 inch thick. Using  a fork, lightly poke the tops to form a pattern. Place on baking sheets, mound side up, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, cool slightly in the pan, and transfer to racks to cool completely.

Greek Christmas Cookies - Melomakarona

While the melomakarona are cooling, make the syrup by combining all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring the syrup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Greek Christmas Cookies - Melomakarona 2

Dip the melomakarona in the hot syrup and place on another baking tray or platter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and ground walnuts. (You can also dip them in chocolate, and then sprinkle the walnuts before serving. I am going to try that next time.)

The recipe makes many dozens of cookies. Perfect for holiday cookie swap parties! The melomarkarona also freeze nicely.

Greek Christmas Cookies - Melomakarona 3

I have added a printable version of the recipe below. Here is a link to Chef Diane’s online recipe:

Greek Christmas Cookies - Melomakarona
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Traditional Greek Christmas Cookies - Melomarkarona are made the olive oil and flavored with orange, cinnamon, cloves, honey and topped with walnuts.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 6 dozen
Ingredients
  • FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH
  • 3 cups extra-virgin Greek olive oil
  • 1 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp. soda
  • ½ cup fresh strained orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 11 cups all-purpose flour
  • FOR THE SYRUP
  • 2 cups Greek honey
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Strained fresh juice and 1 strip of zest from 1 large lemon
  • FOR THE TOPPING
  • Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
  • 1½ to 2 cups finely ground walnuts for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
  2. Lightly oil several baking sheets (or use non-stick silpat sheets)
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer outfitted with a whisk, beat the olive oil with 1 cup of sugar at medium-high speed until creamy
  4. Dilute the baking soda in the orange juice
  5. Add the orange juice mixture, and water to the olive oil–sugar mixture and whisk for 30 seconds
  6. Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment
  7. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft, malleable dough takes shape
  8. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes
  9. Shape the dough into oblong mounds, about 2 inch long and 1 inch thick
  10. Using the tines of a fork, prick the tops lightly to form a decorative pattern
  11. Place on the oiled baking sheets, mounded-side up, about 2 inches apart
  12. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned
  13. Remove from the oven, cool slightly in the pan, and transfer to racks to cool completely
  14. While the melomakarona are cooling, make the syrup
  15. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil
  16. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes
  17. Dip the melomakarona in the hot syrup and place on a platter
  18. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and ground walnuts and serve

 

Merry Christmas Santa SmileyMerry Christmas treeKala Christouyenna!  Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas treeMerry Christmas Santa Smiley

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of my Kitoula.com visitors! Merry Christmas Santa Smiley I can’t believe another year has past and I still (occasionally) keep up this blogging thing I started in August of 2009.

Here’s the latest holiday family photo of me, Yianni and Rahbi. 

And yes, of course I made koulouria with Max and Ben.  Here’s some proof of that on my Instagram profile. I spend more time on Instagram these days. I think that’s true for a lot of us. Be sure to follow me there

You are special today ? Merry Christmas! ????????????????

A post shared by ?? ?? ? Kitoula ? ? ???? ?? ?? (@kitoula) on

I will try to capture some pics of our annual New Year’s Eve lobster dinner. Stay tuned. I’m looking forward to sharing that with you. Merry Christmas Santa Smiley Merry Christmas treeMerry Christmas Santa Smiley

Merry Christmas – Kalá Christoúgenna

Merry Christmas Santa Smiley Kalá Christoúgenna, which in the Greek language (spelled phonetically) means “Merry Christmas.” Here’s the holiday photo of all my Hammond men and me.  On Christmas day and through out the New Year, may your life be filled with health, happiness and joy!

Merry Christmas Hammonds

Merry Christmas Santa Smiley My 2 little Yorkies, Stanley and Stella are ready for their close-up, and they too wish you a Kalá Christoúgenna. 😀 😀 😀

Merry Christmas Stanley and Stella

Merry Christmas Santa Smiley So I’ll post once again, just to make sure it’s clear, my family and I wish you the merriest of Christmases and a Happy New Year!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 😉

Merry Christmas card

Merry Christmas treeMerry Christmas treeMerry Christmas tree

Want to bake my Mom’s Greek Christmas cookies? Here’s the recipe!

Annual Holiday Koulouria
 
Every year I make Christmas cookies with my grandsons, Maxwell and Benjamin, just like I did with my son, Robert, when he was a boy. This is my Mom's recipe for Greek butter cookies.
Author:
Recipe type: sweet / baking
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • 1½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup whipping cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Zest of one orange or 2 tsp. orange extract
  • 4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
  • Small can of sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add eggs.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Add in cream, vanilla, oil and zest.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the dry ingredients.
  6. Slowly add dry ingredients to form a firm but pliable dough.
  7. Using about a tsp of dough, roll with hands on counter surface in long ropes, then fold in half and twist into a braid like cookie.
  8. Place on cookie sheet.
  9. Brush tops of cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Happy New Year!

Here’s to raising a glass and wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Christmas 2014Happy New Year and lots of love from Yianni and I. Love from Ben, Jason, Rahbi, Max, and also our Yorkies, Stanley and Stella.

If you are wondering if the little boys and I made our annual Christmas koulouria, the answer is yes, of course! Can you find which are mine? Which ones are made by the boys?koulouria2014Here’s the recipe. Happy New Year!

Koulouria
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookies
Cuisine: Greek
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 dozen
 
My Mother's recipe for Greek butter cookies.
Ingredients
  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • 1½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup whipping cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vegatable oil
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Zest of one orange or 2 tsp. orange extract
  • 4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
  • Small jar of sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add eggs.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Add in cream, vanilla, oil and zest.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the dry ingredients.
  6. Slowly add dry ingredients to form a firm but pliable dough.
  7. Using about a tsp of dough, roll with hands on counter surface in long ropes,
  8. Then fold in half and twist into a braid like cookie.
  9. Place on cookie sheet.
  10. Brush tops of cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  11. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.