Melomakarona and Finikia are oval shaped honey-dipped cookies offered to visitors at  Christmas time. Finikia are Melomakarona stuffed with a date or half a walnut. These biscuits are made by Greek and Cypriot families in the weeks preceding Christmas; if they’re going to be consumed before Christmas, during the fasting period, they are made using vegetable and olive oil, no butter or eggs.

It is said that the recipe was brought to Greece by the Phoenicians and they are sometimes called Finikia. In some places in Greece, they flavour them with Mastiha/mastic gum, and it’s also becoming quite popular to cover them in chocolate.

Ingredients (makes 28-30):

For the syrup:

500g (1lb )sugar

570ml (1pint) water

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

1/2 cup honey

A few drops of lemon juice

 

For the biscuit:

150ml (¼  pint) olive oil

150ml (¼ pint) 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

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

200g (7oz) fine semolina

700g (1½ lb) plain flour, sifted

 

To decorate:

Honey

Ground or finely chopped walnuts

Ground cinnamon

 

Method:

Make the syrup by placing all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan, apart from the honey, slowly bring to the boil until the sugar dissolves, add the honey and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Then remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, mix and whisk the orange juice, bicarbonate of soda, oils, grated zest, sugar, brandy and spices.

In another larger bowl, add the sifted flour, baking powder and semolina. Gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients 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 overwork 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 and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 or190c.

Break off egg-sized pieces of the dough, squeeze and roll in the palm of your hands to hold together and make them malleable. Shape into ovals and then using a fork, gently make ridges patterns on top of each biscuit – careful not to flatten them.

Place on a tray lined with baking paper, not too close together, and bake in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 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 with honey and sprinkle with ground cinnamon and walnuts.

 

NB: You can also fill the biscuits with half a walnut; just press the walnut into the biscuit before you bake. If you prefer Melomakarona dipped in chocolate, melt 600g Couverture Chocolate with 100g of butter in a bain-marie and after you dip the biscuits in syrup, dip them into the chocolate and allow to drain on a rack. 

Good Luck and Happy Christmas! Καλά Χριστούγεννα!