Melomakarona: Delicious Greek Christmas Cookies That You’ll Love!
Melomakarona are little soft cookies that are soaked in delicious honey syrup before being served. Small bites of pleasure that make your mouth water, even just reading about them.
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If you still don’t know Melomakarona, hold tight… you’re about to be introduced to a whole new dimension of taste and flavor lust!
The Melomakarona recipe is one of the oldest and most traditional Greek recipes. For centuries, these cookies have been served as a dessert after a meal, a treat for the guests, or just as a treat for yourself.
But you can’t find them anywhere and anytime… No! They are only prepared in the wintertime, specifically during the Christmas holidays. Melomakarona is one of the two sweet staples of Christmas in Greece.
History of melomakarona
It’s said that the ancient Greeks celebrated the day of the God Ilios (meaning the God of the sun) around the end of December, making melomakarona almost as they are made today, and the tradition has been followed for so many years that these have become one of the most popular Greek winter sweets.
Over the years, the tradition has changed, keeping the same basic ingredients to prepare them.
These include local honey, extra virgin olive oil, and almonds (or walnuts in some recipes). You can even find differences in the recipes coming from different areas of the country.
Where does the word melomakarona come from?
Back in Ancient Greece, the word μακαρωνία (makaronia), in medieval Greek, described a dish usually eaten during funerals.
At the same time, μακαρια (makaria) was a more ancient work also naming a type of bread usually offered at a funeral. When these little treats started being dipped in honey (μελι), the treat got its present name, melomakarono. As time went by, it also became a popular dish to be enjoyed during the twelve days of Christmas.
The word makarona made its way to many other nations, evolving and changing together with the dishes they represented, so that today we have macaroni in Italy and macaroon in France and eventually England as well.
Why melomakarona in minter… and why for Christmas?
However, at present, and since they don’t celebrate the God Ilios anymore, why are melomakarona prepared only during this time of the year?
The answer is simple: some of their main ingredients are honey and olive oil, which both symbolize fertility and the good life, and this is the reason why the Greeks make, eat, and treat their loved ones with the delicious sweet, to present their wish for a new year full of happiness, health, and good moments.
Don’t feel guilty!
… After all, you’re only eating them once a year… However, keep this in mind: If you are a diet-conscious eater, then you might want to pay some attention to the calorie count.
If you liked melomakarona, click here to learn how to make Kourabiedes.
In general, a medium-sized melomakarono cookie can go from 150 to 200 calories, depending on various factors concerning the ingredients, including the amount of nuts and the type of nuts sprinkled on top.
If compared to the other popular Greek Christmas sweet, kourabiedes, they tend to be healthier because they do not contain butter or tons of confectionery sugar sprinkled on top. Besides, since they are prepared with olive oil, honey, and walnuts, melomakarona are certainly a much healthier choice.
Melomakarona with chocolate: The ultimate Greek sin!
These magnificent Christmas treats can be eaten on their own, and you feel you can never have enough of them… Until you taste the ones dipped in dark chocolate.
Probably the most delicious Christmas treat you will ever come across, μελομακαρονα με σοκολατα (melomakarona me sokolata). Richer, heavier, and you might end up having no more than two. But they embody the best and sweetest part of Christmas and are a treat not to forget!
Melomakarona Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 800 grams Flour
- 20 grams Baking flour
- 200 ml Olive oil extra virgin
- 100 ml Sunflower oil
- 150 grams Confectionary sugar
- 200 ml Orange juice
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 Orange zest
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground cloves
- 50 ml Cretan raki (tsikoudia) (you can replace it with Metaxas or another type of cognac)
- 150 grams Walnuts or pistachios finely chopped
For the syrup
- 600 ml Water
- 500 grams Sugar
- 1 Orange zest
- 5-6 Cloves
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 100 grams Cretan honey
Instructions
For the Melomakarona
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix the sugar with the oils until the sugar is diluted.
- In a separate bowl, add the baking soda to the orange juice and raki, mix, and set aside.
- Pour the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl and lightly mix.
- Add the other two mixtures (the sugar with the oil and the orange juice with baking soda mixtures) slowly into the dry ingredients and knead well. The more you knead, the lighter and fluffier the dough will be, this is something we want!
- Shape the dough into the traditional oblong shape of melomakarona, but don’t make them too big because they will double in size once baked.
- For the same reason, make sure you leave enough space between them when you place them in the baking tray.
- Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they turn a light brown.
- Remove from oven and let them cool well. When they have cooled well, prepare the syrup.
For the Syrup
- Mix all the ingredients except for the honey together and boil them for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove from flame and mix in honey.
- Slowly dip each cooled melomakarono, one by one, into the syrup and place on a platter.
- Add the remaining syrup on top and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts or pistachios.
Notes
- 40 cookies → ~240 kcal per cookie
- 50 cookies → ~190 kcal per cookie
Nutrition
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How to Make Greek Melomakarona
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Gabi Ancarola
Gabi is a travel writer who has lived in Crete for over a decade. Through her blog, Crete Insider, she has helped travelers uncover local experiences. Passionate about food and Cretan cuisine, she now attends Greek cooking lessons to bring the island’s flavors straight to your kitchen!
>> Interested in learning to cook in Crete, or discovering all of the top spots to eat in Chania and around the island? Book a food tour or plan your trip with me.
