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Melomakarona

Soft, chewy, a little cake-like, and swathed in citrus-infused honey, these cookies are the embodiment of time-honored traditions and ancient flavors. Although melomakarona are traditionally shaped by hand, we’ve sped up the process a little by rolling out the dough and using a cutter. Learn about the history of this ancient cookie in our Origin of a Classic article here. 

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Melomakarona

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

Dough:

2 cups (250 grams) cake flour*½ cup (80 grams) semolina flour1 tablespoon (3 grams) orange zest1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg⅛ teaspoon ground cloves¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar¼ cup (56 grams) extra-virgin olive oil¼ cup (56 grams) neutral oil¼ cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice2 tablespoons (30 grams) cognac1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract

Syrup:

1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar⅔ cup (160 grams) water2 teaspoons (2 grams) orange zest¼ cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice1 cinnamon stick2 whole cloves¼ cup (85 grams) honey

Topping:

¼ cup (28 grams) finely chopped toasted walnuts¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

For dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, orange zest, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oils, orange juice, cognac, honey, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For syrup: In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring sugar, ⅔ cup (160 grams) water, orange zest and juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and stir in honey. Pour into heatproof shallow dish, and let cool completely.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a wire rack on a sheet of parchment paper.
On a clean surface, roll dough into a ½-inch-thick circle. Using a 1¾-inch round cutter, cut dough, rerolling scraps. Gently shape circles into ovals. Place 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Using a fork, gently prick top of dough once or twice.
Bake until bottom edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Working in batches of about 6 cookies, using a slotted spatula, immediately remove hot cookies from pans, and place in cooled syrup, gently turning cookies to coat both sides. Place cookies on prepared rack.
For topping: In a small bowl, whisk together walnuts, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle on top of cookies. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

*We used King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour.

The post Melomakarona first appeared on Bake from Scratch.

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