Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies)

Melomakarona are the other essential Greek Christmas cookie, served alongside kourabiedes. Where kourabiedes are buttery and snow-white, melomakarona are golden, fragrant with spices, and drenched in honey syrup.

They're also traditionally vegan — made with olive oil instead of butter. The olive oil gives them a distinctive flavor and keeps them moist for weeks.

The Golden Rule

The syrup must be cold and the cookies must be hot.

This temperature contrast is essential. Hot cookies absorb cold syrup properly. Reverse it and you'll have soggy, unevenly soaked cookies.

Make your syrup the night before and refrigerate it.

Making the Syrup (Day Before)

1. Combine. In a saucepan, mix water, sugar, and cinnamon stick.

2. Boil. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

3. Finish. Remove from heat. Stir in honey and add the orange half.

4. Chill. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight (or at least several hours).

Making the Cookies

5. Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, orange zest, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

6. Activate the baking soda. In a separate container, combine orange juice with baking soda. It will foam up — this is expected.

7. Combine. Add the foaming orange juice to the oil mixture and stir well.

8. Add flour. Gradually fold in flour until you have a soft dough. Don't overmix — you want it just combined.

Shaping and Baking

9. Shape. Take small portions and form into oval shapes, about the size of your thumb. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

10. Score. Lightly score the tops with a fork — this helps them absorb syrup.

11. Bake. 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

Soaking

12. Work in batches. While cookies are hot from the oven, dip 5-6 at a time into the cold syrup.

13. Soak briefly. About 30 seconds per side. Don't leave them too long or they'll become soggy.

14. Transfer. Place soaked cookies on a platter.

15. Top. Drizzle with additional honey and sprinkle generously with chopped walnuts.

Tips

• Make extra syrup. Better to have too much than run out mid-batch.
• Work quickly. The cookies absorb best when very hot.
• Don't freeze after soaking. Syrup-soaked cookies don't freeze well. Freeze them before soaking if needed.

Storage

Store at room temperature in a single layer for up to 2 weeks. They actually improve after a day or two as the flavors meld.

The Christmas Table

In Greece, no Christmas is complete without both kourabiedes and melomakarona. They represent the two sides of Greek sweets — the buttery European influence and the olive-oil-and-honey Mediterranean tradition.

Serve both. It's the Greek way.