I had thought I never made melamakarona but then when I got the recipe from a friend, it looks exactly like my finikia recipe.
Are they basically the same thing with a different name?
Here is my Finikia recipe and aside from some minor differences, it looks the same as my friend's Melamakarona recipe.
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup honey
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
2. Add the vegetable oil, orange juice, brandy, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to combine the ingredients until a thick dough forms.
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Form the dough into small balls (around 1-2 inches in diameter) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
6. While the cookies are baking, prepare the honey syrup. In a saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat until it starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped walnuts.
8. Dip the baked cookies in the honey syrup while they're still warm, making sure to coat them evenly. Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to cool.