Melomakarona (Traditional Christmas Cookies)

For 80-90 small cookies

Ingredients

1200 gr. plain flour
330 gr. sunflower oil 

360 gr. margarine, melted

75 gr. semolina 

18 gr.  baking powder
80 gr. orange juice
zest of 1 orange
20 gr. brandy
200 gr. water

1 teaspoon sinamon powder 

1/2 teaspoon clove powder
2 teaspoons icing sugar

Grated walnuts and honey for decoration

For the syrup

1/2 kg. water

600 gr. sugar
250 gr. honey
1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. First prepare the syrup, because it should be lukewarm for the final process of the melomakarona. In a casserole add the water, the lemon and the sugar and boil for 2-3 minutes. Lower the pan from the heat, allow 10 minutes for the temperature to drop, and then add the honey. Stir well and let it cool.

2. Blend in a mixer (or with a hand mixer) the margarine and the sunflower oil, for at least 10 minutes. Then add the water and the orange and blend for 3 minutes more. Add the icing sugar, the semolina, the baking powder, the cinamon and the clove powder, and blend for 3 minutes more. Transfer this liquid mixture in a big bowl, add the sifted flour and blend by hands softly for 1-2 minutes, to combine all ingredients together.

3. Shape oval cookies of 25 gr. each. Place them on a sheet with non-sticking paper, and with a fork draw small holes all over their surface, very gently.

4. Preheat the oven to 340º F (170º C), and bake the melomakarona for 30 minutes.

5. Remove them from the oven, and immediately dip them in the syrup, slightly pressing on them with the fingers to soak them well (1 minute of soaking would be more then enough). Don't overcrowed the casserole, do it little by little.

6. Prepare a bowl of roughly grated walnuts and a bowl of honey. Dip the upper surface of each melomakarono first in the honey, then in the walnuts, and place them in a platter. Drizzle with honey or with the remaining syrup.

Enjoy!

Kourabiedes (Traditional Christmas Cookies)

For 60-70 small cookies

Ingredients
725 gr. plain flour (all-purpose flour)
400 gr. fresh butter in room temperature
125 gr. icing sugar

200 gr. unsalted almonds, toasted and crushed with skins
5 gr. baking powder
1 table spoon vanilla extract, or 1/2 tea spoon vanillin
zest and juice of 1 orange

rosewater to spray
1/2 kg. icing sugar for dusting
Optionally, 60-70 whole almonds for stuffing

Preparation
1. To knead with a mixer: With the wire whip, blend very well the butter with 125 gr. icing sugar, untill fluffy. Change with the dough hook, and add sifted the flour with the baking powder and in the end add the almonds, the vanilla and the orange. Blend for 5 minutes, untill the dough is soft and doesn't stick. 

To knead by hand: Place the butter with 125 gr. of icing sugar in a big bowl. With a whisk or a hand mixer blend very well, untill fluffy. Add sifted the flour with the baking powder and continue to knead by hand. for 5 minutes. Then add the almonds, the vanilla and the orange and continue kneading untill all ingredients are fully incorporated, and the dough is soft and doesn't stick on the hands. 

2. Shape balls from 20 to 25 gr. each. If you like, you could place a whole almond in the center of each ball. Place them on a sheet with non-sticking paper, and press gently with the fingers on the top of each ball, to slightly flatten. 

3. Preheat the oven to 340º F (170º C) and bake the cookies for 25 minutes.

4. Remove the cookies from the oven. Immedietely spray them with the rosewater on both sides, dip them in a bowl full of icing sugar and turn them gently untill well covered. Place them on a platter and sprinkle them with the remaining icing sugar using a sieve.

Enjoy!