MELOMAKARONA/ FINIKIA
Μελομακάρονα
(Christmas honey-dipped biscuits)
Loulla’s recipes
Could you imagine Greek Christmas without this beauties? Could you imagine English Christmas without mince pies? Melomakarona’ and Finikia are oval honey cookies, which are offered to visitors jurying Christmas time, Finikia are Melomakarona stuffed with a dated or 1/2 a walnut. This biscuits are made by all the Greek and Cypriot families in the weeks preceding Christmas,if they’re going to be consume before Christmas, there made with vegetable oil and olive oil, no butter and never eggs, because of the pre-Christmas fasting. When the fast is over, on Christmas- Day butter can be included in the recipe. It is said that the recipe was brought to Greece by the Phoenicians and they are sometimes called ‘Finikia’ It’s also very trendy this days to cover them in chocolate, I personally don’t like them with chocolate, unfortunately I’m very traditional girl or should I say a woman ! In some places in Greece they like to flavour them with Mastiha /mastic gum beguiling resinous from the Island of Chios, anyway here is my recipe.
Makes 28-30 depending
on the size
For the syrup
500g (1lb )sugar
570ml (1pin) water
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1/2 cup honey
few drops lemon juice
For the biscuit
150ml(1/4pint)olive oil
150ml (1/4pint)vegetable oil
100g (4oz)caster sugar
Juice of 2 large oranges and grated zest of 1 orange
1 liqueur glass brandy
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
200g(7oz)fine semolina
700g (1. ½ lb.) plain flour (approx.) sifted
For decoration
Honey
Ground or finely chopped walnuts
Ground cinnamon
Method
Make the syrup, place all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan, apart for the honey bring slowly to the boil until the sugar dissolves add honey and simmer for 8-10 minutes, remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl mix and whisk the orange juice, b, soda, oils, grated zest, sugar, brandy and spices.
In another larger bowl add the sifted flour,baking- powder and semolina.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the flour and mix lightly starting with a wooden spoon then using your hand until the mixture comes together, and you have a light pliable but firm dough,(do not over work the dough otherwise it will become too oily and cracked up. If the dough is too soft to handle add more flour and if too stiff add more orange juice, rest for 10minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 or190c.
Break off egg sized pieces of the dough and squeeze and roll them in the palm of your hands so that they hold together to make them malleable. Shape into ovals and with the back of a fork gently make ridges on top of each biscuits to make patterns., do not flatter them.
Place them on baking sheet,line with baking paper, not too close together and bake in a pre-heated oven for25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and allow them to get cold, store in airtight containers.
When required , warm syrup or make the syrup on the day. Dip cold biscuits in warm syrup a few at a time for 3 seconds only, otherwise they will break, and place on a rack to drain.
Arrange them on a platter, drizzle them with honey and sprinkle them with ground cinnamon and walnuts.
NB These biscuits can be made up to 3-4 weeks in advance. You could also stuffed the biscuits with half walnut, just press it in the biscuits before you bake them.
Melomakarona me Sokolata
Melomakarona Dipped in Chocolate
Melt 600g couverture chocolate with 100g of butter in a Ban-Marie and dipped the biscuits (after you dipped them in syrup) allow them to drain on a rack.
Good Luck and Happy Christmas !
Καλά Χριστούγεννα!
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