There’s a moment every December when the house fills with the fragrance of orange zest, warm spices and honey, and suddenly Christmas feels as if it has truly arrived. For me, nothing captures the essence of a Greek winter—its generosity, its comfort, its ritual—quite like melomakarona. These iconic biscuits are humble in appearance yet endlessly evocative: soft, fragrant ovals bathed in warm syrup until they glisten, then finished with a snowfall of crushed walnuts. They are the flavours of childhood kitchens, family gatherings, and that beautiful, unhurried pause between Christmas and New Year.
What makes them unforgettable is the harmony of ingredients. Cinnamon, cloves and orange zest create a naturally festive perfume; brandy adds a gentle warmth; and the honey syrup wraps everything in sweetness without ever becoming cloying. I always use a mild, fruity extra virgin olive oil from Lesvos—Avlaki is my favourite, and it works beautifully here—giving the dough both tenderness and depth. The recipe is simple, honest and forgiving, just as these biscuits should be.
Whether you enjoy them with coffee by the tree, gift them to friends, or serve them on a table laden with festive treats, I hope each bite brings you the same sense of comfort and celebration that it brings to my home. May your kitchen smell heavenly, and may your Christmas be as sweet as these little treasures.
For the melomakarona
- 175ml olive oil
- 75ml orange juice
- 25ml brandy
- 100g caster sugar
- The zest of two oranges
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 450 – 500g plain flour
- 50g of crushed walnuts for sprinkling
For the Syrup
- 200g honey
- 100g sugar
- 200ml water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/Gas 4.
- In a bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder.
- In a large bowl, beat the olive oil with the sugar until the sugar has melted. Add the spices, brandy and orange zest and stir to mix thoroughly.
- In a glass, stir the bicarbonate of soda into the orange juice and add to the olive oil.
- Start adding the flour to the wet ingredients, stirring gently to incorporate and then – using your hands – mix so as to have a soft dough. You may not need all the flour and take care not to overmix as the oil will start seeping out of the dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take approximately 15g of dough in your hands and shape into an oval. Using a cooling rack or a spider ladle, roll the pastry over them with your hands to give it a pretty imprint. Place the melomakarona on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.
- While the melomakarona are baking, bring a saucepan containing the water and sugar to the boil. Three minutes before reaching boiling point, add the honey and lemon juice, remove any scum from the surface and boil for a further couple of minutes.
- Let the melomakarona cool for 5 minutes and dip into the hot syrup. Drain onto a cooling rack and then place on a beautiful platter, sprinkling each layer with the finely chopped walnuts and drizzling with any left-over syrup.