CyprusLiving

These are the honey syrup soaked cinnamon biscuits/cakes that Cypriots eat around Christmas time. They are quite expensive in the shops but work out cheaper to make and are are much more syruppy and delicious!!!

This makes loads so you can half the ingredients for a first try.

Melomakarona

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of oil, 1 cup of sugar, half cup of brandy, half cup of orange juice
Zest from 1 orange
1 tblsp ground cinnamon, half tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda
1kg cake flour
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
pinch of salt

SYRUP
1kg honey, half kg sugar, 1 cup water

METHOD
Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice. Sift the flour into a bowl with the baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves & salt. In a mixer or bowl, beat the sugar with the oil until the sugar dissolves. Gradually add the orange juice, orange zest, brandy and half the flour. Work the mixture with your hands, gradually adding the rest of the flour. Knead it well until the dough is smooth and soft.
Preheat the oven to 180 deg.
Take some dough, about the size of a large walnut and form a long oval shape - slightly raised in the middle. Place it on top of a cheese grater and press very lightly to create a ridge effect. Place onto an un-greased baking tray. Repeat for the remaining mixture, put into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. When cooked, leave to cool for a little while then transfer to a cooling rack to harden.
In the meantime, prepare the syrup by placing all the ingredients into a pan and boil for 10-15 minutes until it froths. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little in the pan. When the melomakarona have cooled, dip them into the warm to hot syrup one by one. Repeat up to 6 times for each biscuit. Leave for 15 minutes then turn around and leave for another 15 minutes (this gets the syrup nice and soaked in). Turn back finally so the ridging is on top and sprinkle with the finely chopped walnuts.

Eat 6 or 7 immediately then serve the rest later to family and friends!

Jeanne x

Thank you Jeanne, I have a recipe but this is more scrummy! Have you got a recipe for Kourombides please (hope that this is the correct spelling) I adore their pumpin pies to! ahh! heaven. where can I buy the baking soda here please?
Lesley

Jeanne,

They sound delicious. Can you tell me roughly, how many biscuits to expect from these quantities and also exactly what you mean by "Leave for 15 minutes then turn around and leave for another 15 minutes " as it isn't clear (to me!)

thanks

Hi Telboy - the number really depends on what size you make them initially. I am doing a half batch tomorrow so will let you know how many I get out of it. After dipping each one, go back to the first one then dip it again, repeat the whole process for about 6 dips. The leave them all for 15 mins. Turn them all over and leave them all for another 15 min. This gets the syrup soaked right through. Just turn them all up finally so the rough bit is on top and them add the walnuts. Press the walnuts in a little to stick.

Hi Lesley - baking soda (bicarbonate) is available in all supermarkets with the baking stuff (got some in Paps yesterday). I also have a recipe for Kourambides as follows. I haven't made these yet this year so will do a batch in the next few weeks. These are great if you put a few in a nice box to take to friends over christmas when visiting. I don't have a pumpkin pie receipe as my ma-in-law makes loads of them during the season so I don't need to! She also does great anari sweet pastries and those lovely village pancakes but I have never managed to recreate them the same! Anyway - Kourambides:

INGREDIENTS (half ingredients for smaller batch)

500g of cake flour (self-raising)
500g butter at room temp.
500g cooking fat (most Cypriots use the tinned Spry available in all supermarkets.
1 cup of sugar
Half cup of brandy or ouzo (or quarter cup of both)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda (bicarb)
1 egg
pinch of salt
200g of almonds, browned and roughly chopped (I usually lightly fry them in a tiny drop of oil)
Plenty of icing sugar

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
Dissolve the soda with the ouzo/brandy
Whisk the butter with the cooking fat and sugar until its white. Add the egg and the ouzo/brandy and continue to beat until its an even consistency. Put it in a mixing bowl and add two thirds of the flour and the almonds. Mix it with your hands gradually adding the rest of the flour until an even mixture is formed.
Again, make into a shape about the size of a large walnut and form a semi-circle shape, raised a little in the middle. Place on a baking tray and bake them for about 20-25 mins until they start to brown but don't over-brown (as its a biscuit mix).

Put a load of icing sugar on a serving tray and some extra for sieving. Put the hot buscuits straight from the oven onto the tray - roll them about and sieve some on top to let the icing sugar completely cover them. They need to be fairly thickly coated with it. Leave them for about 15 mins to cool before eating. Don't breath in too hard as you are about to bite into them! And don't worry if they fall apart as you are eating them - they usually do (serviettes required).

You can also vary the flavourings/nut types to your taste preferences.

Jeanne x

Thank you so much for the recipes Jeanne, I will give you a feed back on them, my Cypriot friend always send some over and I just wanted to try and do them and send some over in a mixed homemade batch to her. I adore the christmas biscuits, I am also going to have a go at Vasilopita for New Year.
Thank you again
Lesley