Greek Christmas Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)

This traditional Greek Christmas recipe is a must-bake in our household come Christmas time, infusing the house with that festive scent of baking, orange, cinnamon, and spices. It’s also our go-to gift when visiting friends and family over the festive period. Instead of a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers, we tend to create a plateful of Melomakarona and Kourampiedes to take around for the host (sometimes there’s a bottle of wine too, of course!) These Greek Christmas cookies take their name from a mixture of ‘meli’ - honey, and the ancient Greek word ‘makaria’ - blessed. With that kind of meaning, you can see the reason that they’re a central part of foodie Greek Christmas traditions (as well as for their taste, of course). Once soaked in honey, these biscuits are moist, flavorsome, and gently spiced - in short, the perfect Christmas mouthful. In some regions, Melomakarona are known as Finikia, but occasionally recipes for Finikia ask you to deep fry them instead of oven-baking them. Don’t worry about making too many - they always get eaten one way or the other. These are a great Christmas dessert, or an addition to your midmorning cup of coffee - it’s Advent, after all, so it’s time to indulge! I love to sit down in a cozy chair for ten minutes and eat a honey cookie, taking in a moment’s quiet during the festive rush. I highly recommend it! An interesting fact is that we frequently have too many Melomakarona at home and, since they are a staple for our family gatherings during the holiday season, some usually go to waste. Fortunately, this gives us an excellent opportunity to switch up our desserts and opt for something just as luxurious but without the festive vibe: Wallnut-filled chocolates, also known as Kariokes. We use Melomakarona crumbs to make these and they are divine! So be sure to keep this extra piece of advice in your back pocket!

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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