Monday's Greek Recipe - Melomakarona and Kourabiedes - Greek Christmas Cookies

Christmas is round the corner and that time of year again in Greece and Cyprus to feel the divine smell of homemade Christmas sweets like kourabiedes and melomakarona. Despite my very busy schedule at work, I made time and baked some. But I used  different recipes this year - easy to bake - and just as delicious.Well, my melomakarona are a bit bigger than normal but it's the taste that counts after all.

A. MELOMAKARONA - HONEY COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 3 cups pure sunflower oil
• 8 cups flour
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 a cup brandy
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbs cinnamon and clove powder
• 5-6 tbs baking powder
• 1 tbs salt

For the syrup

• 1 cup honey
• 1.5 cup water
• 1.5 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

• Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well together. The dough must feel oily.
• Form round or oblong shapes and put them in a pan. Do not butter the pan!
• Bake for about 30 minutes.
• When they're cold enough prepare the syrup as follows: Boil the honey, water and sugar till they get foamy. Put the melomakarona in the hot syrup for about 15-20 seconds, drain them and then wrap them in the crushed walnuts mixed with cinnamon.

B. KOURABIEDES - GREEK CHRISTMAS COOKIES

  

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2  tbs brandy
• 1 cup blanched almonds roasted and finely chopped

To Finish

• 1 cup icing sugar
• rose water

Directions

• Beat the butter and the sugar together in the blender and add the egg yolks and the brandy.
• Gradually add the flour and the baking powder.
• Using a spoon mix the almonds.
• Take small amounts of dough snd shape in round , oblong or crescent shapes.
• Place them in a non-stick unbuttered pan and bake in a medium oven for 30-40 minutes.
• When they are cold enough sprinkle them with rosewater and wrap them in icing sugar.

 

This post was originally published in December 2009

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !

 

Kala Xristougenna - Merry Christmas!

Comments

[Christina]

I think I'm going to bake some melomakarona and kourabiedes this year. It costs less than buying them. I just love these wonderful Christmas smells. I'll definitely use your recipes - much easier than mine - and let you know how it goes.

[Lisa A]

Buonasera Anastasia. Thank you for these great recipes of Greek Christmas cookies. They look very delicious! I also make my Italian Christmas cookies which they are very different. I make them with butter, sugar, eggs, ricotta cheese and some vanilla. Then I make a frosting on top and I decorate it with Christmas sprinkles that I find at the supermarket.

[Lakis Ioannou]

Anastasia, I will take you a few years back, when you were blogging on Yahoo 360. I will never forget the day when you sent your online friends, including me, kourabiedes. It was a unique experience in blogging to see photos of all your friends around the world opening up their share of kourabiedes! Believe me, this is something I'll never forget, even if the kourabiedes weren't homemade. Well, my lovely British wife is still trying to learn hoiw to make our traditional Christmas cookies. Thanks to your recipes, she's making good progress!

[Stefania]

I tried your recipes last Christmas and they really turned out great! Since then I have decided to bake homemade melomakarona and kourabiedes.

[Laura]

I love these mouthwatering Christmas cookies of yours!

[Constantinos T]

Indeed, your melomakarona are extra large, but they do look delicious. Your post brought back happy memories from my grandma who would always bake melomakarona and kourabiedes for Christmas for all the family in addition to those she gave away as gifts to friends or for charity. At the age of five, I'd always save a few kourabiedes for Santa:-)