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Melomakarona / Greek Honey Cookies

Instructions:

Cookie Dough:
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup Nea Fitini (Vegetable Oil Shortening)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cups orange juice
2 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp cognac
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp nutmeg
5-6 cups flour
1 cup ground walnuts

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups honey
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
orange peel
Juice of 2 lemons

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

Melt the vegetable shortening and beat with vegetable oil and sugar. Add the dry ingredients to one cup of flour and add it into the mixture. Mix in the rest of the flour until a dough forms.

Form the cookies into the 2-3 inch long rounds and place onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden.

For the syrup, add the sugar, honey, and syrup, spices, and orange peel to a pot and heat over medium heat and boil for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice (keeps the syrup from crystallizing).

When the cookies are done, dip a few at a time into the syrup and let soak for 5-10 seconds. Set aside and top lightly with ground walnuts.

Notes:

Mama Katina’s Recipe

George Christidis