Melomakarona (Christmas desert with honey)

 

Homechefs in Greece make melomakarona only the period before Christmas. I think this is the reason why almost everybody loves them! Today I' ll give you my recipe, which is not unique, and has been formed by combining the recipes from my gradmothers and my own experiments.

   
Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup brandy or liqueur
zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated clove
little grated nutmeg
1/2 cup fine semolina
 

2.5 cups flour

syrup
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup honey
1 orange cut in half

coverings
walnut chopped
cinnamon and cloves
 

How to Make 

Place the first five ingredients into a bowl and beat then with the mixer for 5 minutes until fully homogenized (I should prepare you that this stage is pretty splashy). In the meantime, turn on the oven at 175 degrees Celsius.

Then add the liquid mix the five next ingredients and stir constantly with a fork. After that, add the 2 cups of flour and continue stirring with the fork. From now on you should put your hands in! Pour slowly and remaining half cup of flour until the pastry has a homogeneous and relatively soft texture. If you find it very sticky pour some more flour, but be carefull it should not be stiff. 

Put wax paper on a baking pan. Then prepare small balls of pastry (the size of a whole walnut). Try to make the balls really smooth externally, without cracks. Place them in the pan, pressing lightly to be somewhat flat and leave a small gap between them. You will need 3 to 4 pans.
Bake in preheated oven at 175 for 20-25 minutes, until starting to get slightly red. Then place all of them in a pan or a bowl tightly with each one another and turned upside down and let them cool completely.

Once they cool, prepare the syrup. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 5-7 minutes. With a ladle pour the syrup over the Melomakarona and let them stand several hours (7-8) or overnight.
Then mix the chopped walnut with cinnamon and cloves and sprinkle melomakarona as you turn them to a platter.

 Find it in Greek here.