22/12/2021

Yiayia Naomi’s Melomacarona

This recipe from my Yiayia was handed down to me by my aunt and cousin who are really the specialist Melomacarona makers!

Makes:

50 approx

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Download Recipe PDF

Ingredients

8 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups extra light olive oil
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Cognac
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
2 teaspoons cinnamon, extra
SYRUP
2 cups raw sugar
2 cups water

Method

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda together. Beat the butter, oil, sugar, orange juice and Cognac together in mixer until combined – it will be runny. Mix in enough flour to make a soft, pliable dough – you may not need to add it all. To shape each biscuit, knead a tablespoon of mixture until smooth. Press into a flat disc shape, place a small piece of walnut in the centre and fold to enclose. Shape into ovals. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack before dipping in hot syrup and sprinkling with finely chopped remaining walnuts combined with extra cinnamon.
SYRUP Combine sugar and water and bring to the boil, simmering for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Dip the cooled biscuits into the hot syrup.

Tips

New Recipes

Coriander Turkey Meatballs in Satay Sauce

Turkey mince makes great meatballs, especially when smothered in a peanut satay sauce.

Greek Custard Rolls (Galactobureko Rolls)

These beautiful little pastry rolls with a semolina custard filling are drenched in a sweet sticky honey syrup that is…

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Apple Mint Salad

This is so much more than a chicken salad, particularly if you cook and carve the chicken and serve the…

Share On:

Coriander Turkey Meatballs in Satay Sauce

Turkey mince makes great meatballs, especially when smothered in a peanut satay sauce.

Desserts ·

Greek Custard Rolls (Galactobureko Rolls)

These beautiful little pastry rolls with a semolina custard filling are drenched in a sweet sticky honey syrup that is so loved by the Greeks. This recipe was handed down to me by my girlfriend Kelly, so in our house,…

Main Courses ·

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Apple Mint Salad

This is so much more than a chicken salad, particularly if you cook and carve the chicken and serve the warm slices on top of the fresh salad mix.

Main Courses ·

Baked Sausage, Ricotta and Basil Penne

A tasty pasta bake that can be cooked in a flash.

Tuna, Caper and Tomato Shell Pasta

A quick tasty pasta made with store cupboard ingredients.

Marinara Mornay

Seafood marinara mix in a creamy bechamel is a luscious dish as an entree or main.

Main Courses ·

Chicken and Fennel Paella Verde

This paella blanca (although I do use a bit of saffron) is a fresh take on this Spanish classic and combines chicken, fennel, zucchini and asparagus with the zing of lemon.