mixture of equal parts cinnamon and icing sugar (if you prefer a nut free version)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the Melomakarona Dough:
Add the oils and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the orange juice, cognac, honey, cinnamon, clove powder, baking soda, and baking powder and continue to blend.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour slowly. Finally, add the walnuts (if adding to the dough itself) and mix until combined.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Note: Before baking a whole batch of cookies, test by baking just 1. If the cookie spreads too much while baking, you can add a bit more flour before baking the rest of the dough.
Form the Cookies:
Scoop out a small portion of dough. I use about a golf ball sized portion for my cookies (about 1 1/2 tablespoons).
Roll the dough into a ball using the palms of your hands. Press down slightly and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I press mine down onto the back of a plate with a textured design on it but this is not necessary.
Bake the first 2 trays in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown slightly. Repeat with the final tray of cookies.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Dip the Cookies:
Warm the honey and water in a saucepan on low heat until thin and syrupy. Remove from heat and dip the cookies in the syrup for a minute on each side (be sure to flip so that they are well coated). [Tip: Test one out to ensure the honey has soaked into the cookie. If it hasn't keep the cookies in for a bit longer.]
Set the dipped cookies back on the cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath so the excess honey can drip off. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts or with a mixture of cinnamon and icing sugar, if desired.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.