Melomakarona

 "The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood!"
                                      -R. Paul Evans, "The Christmas Box"

 MELOMAKARONA ( Greek Honey Shortbread) I love this recipe.  It comes from my dear friend, Maria, who lives back east. I'm way out on the west coast, so there are many roads and mountains between us. It was 1998 when she gave me this recipe, and the pages are stained with  honey and cinnamon.....

 At Christmas, when I make this, I remember all the times we spent together walking in the snow with our young children, watching them  scramble over snow banks. Cold air. Frosty breath and freezing hands. The holidays that made us more than friends, more like family. And even now though we are far apart in distance, we are still close. Christmas was always extra special, and still is.  Back then  time spent together meant endless cups of strong tea steeped in honey, and  a plate of this shortbread between us, Christmas carols being played on the piano in the living room....they go hand in hand.

 PREHEAT OVEN to 350.
3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup olive oil, ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup brandy, or use orange juice for the brandy, ¼ cup orange juice, 1 tbsp grated orange rind,1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1 tsp cinnamon.

 SYRUP INGREDIENTS: 1 cup honey, ½ cup sugar, 1 cup water

 Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda.

 Combine oil, sugar, brandy, orange juice and orange rind. 

 Gradually combine all together . Dough should be easy to knead.

 I hand squeeze about three or four mandarins. Didn't have brandy this time, so just did extra orange juice.

 Add grated orange zest to the dough. It will come together very well .

 Roll out and cut into round or oval shapes about 2 ½-3 inches. Or roll by hand.

 “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ― Bob Hope

 Place on greased baking sheet and bake for about 20 mins till brown

 MAKE SYRUP: Combine the three ingredients in small pot and boil for about 5 mins. Let cool.

 Be careful not to let the syrup boil over, like I did. I turned away for a second. But caught the pot in time before it made too much of a mess.

 I crushed the walnuts till they were a bit finer. The cinnamon I threw into the bag with the nuts then smashed the bag with a rolling pin till they were finer. It was very cathartic....I highly recommend smashing up walnuts by hand....

 Finished syrup. Cooled and ready for dipping.

 Dip hot shortbread in cooled syrup, 

 sprinkle with chopped walnuts and cinnamon

 OR store shortbread without dipping in freezer. They are good without the syrup.

 "Christmas is a necessity.There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves." -Eric Sevareid

Photographs 2017