Christmas Honey Sweets (Melomakarona)

Category:sweets
Calorie information:Christmas honey sweets (1 item), 120 calories
48 servings

7 cup of All-purpose unbleached flour
Extra flour for kneading
1 1/2 teaspoon of Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1 3/4 cup of Mild olive oil
1 1/4 cup of Sugar
1/2 cup of Cognac -OR- mavrothaphne wine -OR- ruby port
3 Oranges; zested and juiced
4 teaspoon of Freshly ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon of Freshly ground clove
3/4 teaspoon of Freshly grated nutmeg

Syrup
1 pound of Honey; (1 lb = about 2 cups)
1 cup of Sugar
1 1-inch piece of cinnamon
1 Clove
1 Lemon; zested and juiced
1 cup of Water

Topping
1/2 cup of Shelled almonds
1 tablespoon of Sugar
1 teaspoon of Freshly ground cinnamon


Start by making the syrup. Put the honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and
lemon zest in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer
for 5-10 minutes. Add the lemon juice, then chill.
To blanch the almonds, plunge them into boiling water for 1-2 minutes,
until you see signs of their skins loosening. Then drain and slip or
pop them from their skins onto a baking sheet. Toast them in an oven
preheated to 350 F for about 10 minutes - just until they begin to
color. Cool, then chop them very, very finely - if you do this in a
food processor, make sure that the pulses are short, or the nuts could
turn oily. Mix the ground almonds with the sugar and cinnamon and
reserve.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Put the olive oil and
sugar in a large bowl and beat together - with your fingers like
Andonia - or with a wooden spoon. Beat in the Cognac, the orange zest,
spices, and juice from 2 oranges (about 1/2 cup).

Then beat in the flour, a few spoonfuls at a time, until you have a
malleable dough, adding more flour if it is too soft, and more orange
juice if it is too stiff. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and
knead for 10-15 minutes until very smooth.
Pinch off pieces of dough of about 2 tablespons and form into
flattened oval or lozenge shapes. Place them on an oiled or non-stick
baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400-425 F for about 20
minutes, until brown.
When they are cool enough to handle, dip them in the bowl of syrup for
about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray to
cool. Sprinkle with the chopped almond mixture.

Source: Recipes from a Greek Island, by Susie Jacobs

Source:
http://www.greek-recipe.com/static/c...ey_sweets.html



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