cook with ags: healthier christmas melomakarona

What’s that we can smell? The delicious aroma of Melomakarona baking in houses all across Greece! These traditional honey cookies are incredibly quick and simple to make, and to us are truly the scent and taste of Christmas. Sweet, warm, crunchy and dipped in honey syrup - what more could you ask for when festive baking?

In the true tradition of our partnership with #CookwithAGS chef Christina Kotsileliou, we bring you a healthier version, which can also be made vegan if you substitute the honey for agave nectar. We hope you enjoy a little taste of Greece this Christmas, and do be sure to tag us if you make these @ancientgreeksandals with #CookwithAGS

Healthier Christmas Melomakarona

Makes 20-30 biscuits

Biscuit ingredients:

200g olive oil

100g honey or agave nectar

400g wholewheat or spelt flour, sifted

100g thin semolina

100ml fresh orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp powdered cloves

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Syrup ingredients:

150ml water

300g honey or agave nectar

1 whole orange, halved

1 cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

To serve:

150g walnuts, finely chopped

Start by making the syrup:

1. Combine all the syrup ingredients (except for the honey) in a pot and bring to the boil.

2. Add the honey and lower the heat until dissolved. Set aside and let cool completely.

For the Melomakarona cookies:

1. Place flour, semolina and baking powder in a small bowl, mix well.

2. In a second, larger bowl, dissolve baking soda in the orange juice.

3. Add to this bowl the olive oil, honey, cinnamon, clove, and orange zest. Mix well with a metal whisk.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and this time use a spatula to mix slowly, which will result in a softer dough. Overworking the dough will make the cookies too tough.

5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

6. Using your hands, shape the cookies in to small oval shapes before placing on the tray and baking for about 25 minutes.

7. When the Melomakarona are out of the oven and still warm, dip them in your pre-prepared cold syrup using a slotted spoon, and let them absorb the liquid for about 20 seconds.

Serve on a large platter and top with the chopped walnuts. Enjoy with a warm cup of tea or coffee as a sweet snack!