Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Melomakarona Recipe - does this look right?

1 - 3 of 3 Posts
paharo45

paharo45

Active member
I found my family's melomakarona recipe and the card is badly damaged in the spot where the ingredients are. This is what it says - does it look right or did I misinterpret what it said? This is just the cookie recipe. The syrup part wasn't damaged.
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup fine semolina
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon clove
  • Orange zest (couldn't read amount)
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Metaxa

Is there really all that oil?
 
paharo45 said:
I found my family's melomakarona recipe and the card is badly damaged in the spot where the ingredients are. This is what it says - does it look right or did I misinterpret what it said? This is just the cookie recipe. The syrup part wasn't damaged.
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup fine semolina
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon clove
  • Orange zest (couldn't read amount)
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Metaxa

Is there really all that oil?
Click to expand...
My friend and I cranked out over 800 melomakarona ( we used a special cookie press ) at Church last year before Christmas . Anyway, your ingredients are fine but here is what we do different : 1) no vegetable oil ! It's a seed oil and bad for you. We added good butter in it's place ; 2) we added all-spice to the cinnamon and ground clove but I would add more of each...it's a spice cookie , let the spices shine ! ; 3) Metaxa is fine but bourbon goes better with the spices and orange ; 4) orange zest amount , depends on your taste and 5) finally , make sure you do the syrup right ... room temp cookies in hot syrup or the opposite but easier to do the former. Don't be afraid to taste the batter and add to it .
 
LMegois said:
My friend and I cranked out over 800 melomakarona ( we used a special cookie press ) at Church last year before Christmas . Anyway, your ingredients are fine but here is what we do different : 1) no vegetable oil ! It's a seed oil and bad for you. We added good butter in it's place ; 2) we added all-spice to the cinnamon and ground clove but I would add more of each...it's a spice cookie , let the spices shine ! ; 3) Metaxa is fine but bourbon goes better with the spices and orange ; 4) orange zest amount , depends on your taste and 5) finally , make sure you do the syrup right ... room temp cookies in hot syrup or the opposite but easier to do the former. Don't be afraid to taste the batter and add to it .
Click to expand...
That's a lot of melomakarona! A lot of my family recipes say vegetable oil as well. We've been in the US for a few generations and when they first got here olive oil was so expensive. It's not anymore. I've been slowly changing the recipes to be olive oil not vegetable oil. Your feedback from Paharo's recipe is validating this is the right thing to do!

My thoughts on the recipe itself:

Yes, the oil amounts in your recipe look correct for melomakarona but I'd also change to olive oil! These traditional Greek cookies are known for their rich, moist texture, which comes from the generous use of oil instead of butter. Combining olive oil and vegetable oil is also quite common—it balances the flavor and ensures the dough is soft and easy to shape.
 
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

How Much Garlic in a Batch of Tzatziki?

How much garlic do you usually put in a batch of tzatziki? I think I may be using a little too much. I usually make mine with about 2 cups of Greek yogurt and 4 cloves of garlic, along with cucumber, olive oil, and the other usual ingredients.

It tastes great when I first make it, but we usually take about three days to finish the batch. By the second or third day, the garlic flavor and smell become really strong. Some people in my household love that and don’t mind it at all, but others think it becomes a bit overpowering. I’m starting to agree that four cloves might be too much, especially since the garlic seems to get stronger as it sits.

What do you all do? How many cloves would you use for about 2 cups of Greek yogurt?

My Family’s Keftedes Recipe

Keftedes are one of those foods that always remind me of family gatherings. Everyone seems to make them a little differently, but this is the basic version my family has always used.

For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

We usually serve them with lemon, potatoes, salad, or tzatziki.

How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

Do you make Greek lentil soup with vinegar

I’ve always made fakes with a splash of vinegar, either stirred into the pot near the end or added individually at the table. To me, that little bit of acidity is part of what makes the soup taste right, especially with the earthy lentils, olive oil, onion, garlic, and bay leaf.

But I have a Greek friend who makes hers very differently. She doesn’t use vinegar at all and instead adds quite a lot of tomato product, so her version is much redder and more tomato-forward than mine.

Now I’m curious about what is considered more traditional in Greek cooking. Is vinegar usually a standard part of fakes, or is it more of a regional or family preference? Are tomato-heavy versions just as traditional?

How do you make yours, and what did your family serve growing up?
Sign up for a free account and share your thoughts, photos, questions about Greek food, travel and culture!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top