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Olive Oil Nut-and-Spice Cookies / Melomakarona me Elaiolado

4.15 from 14 votes

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These cookies are a Greek Christmas specialty, but they are great with your morning coffee every day of the year, too.

4.15 from 14 votes

Olive Oil Nut-and-Spice Cookies / Melomakarona me Elaiolado

By Diane Kochilas

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 25

Recipes, Sweets & Desserts

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 25

Recipes, Sweets & Desserts

Ingredients

For the Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
½ cup/120 ml water
1 medium cinnamon stick
One-inch/2.5-cm-wide strip lemon zest
For the Cookies
3-3 ½ cups all-purpose flour as needed
1 scant tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup/240 ml extra-virgin Greek olive oil
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup/120 ml fresh orange or lemon juice
¼ cup/60 ml brandy
1 cup chopped walnuts
Grated zest of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Make the syrup: Bring the sugar, honey, and water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the cinnamon and lemon zest and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. For the cookies: Sift together 3 cups of the flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the olive oil with the sugar until creamy. Stir the baking soda into the citrus juice and add to the oil-and-sugar mixture. Add the brandy, walnuts, and grated zest and continue mixing vigorously until combined.

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Diane’s Greek Single-origin Artisanal Foods

Visit my online shop for a wide selection of Greek single-origin artisanal foods, from honeys to wild herbs, olives, olive oils, pistachios, heirloom grain products, fruit preserves and more.

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Diane Kochilas is one of the world’s foremost experts on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. She is the host, creator and co-producer of My Greek Table, the award-winning 13-episode per season cooking-travel show about Greece that airs nationally on Public Television. The series is in its third season.

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Olive Oil Nut-and-Spice Cookies / Melomakarona me Elaiolado