• 1 cup (150g) vegetable shortening (solid, not melted)
• 1 cup (230g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (8g) baking soda dissolved in 1 cup (250ml) fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon (5g) orange zest
• 1/4 cup (65ml) cognac
• 6 cups (900g) self-rising flour (Farina)
• 1 teaspoon (8g) baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon (5g) cinnamon
• 1 cup (170g) coarsely ground almonds
• 1 cup (100g) coarsely ground walnuts
For the Syrup
• 1 ½ cups (345g) sugar
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) water
• 1 ½ cups (540g) honey
• A few drops of lemon juice
For the Topping
• 1 cup (100g) coarsely ground walnuts
• ½ cup (85g) coarsely ground almonds
METHOD
For the Melomakarona:
1. In a bowl, combine the oil, vegetable shortening (solid, not melted), and sugar, mixing with a whisk. Add the baking soda dissolved in the orange juice, the orange zest, and the cognac. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ground almonds, and ground walnuts (be careful, the nuts should be coarsely ground. If they turn into powder, you might need to reduce the amount of flour slightly).
2. Mix these together and add the butter mixture. Mix gently. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Take a small ball of dough, about the size of a walnut (around 35-40g), knead it lightly, and shape it into an oval. Place the melomakarona on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press them down lightly. If you want the cookies to soak up more syrup, prick them with a fork.
3. Bake at 180°C (350°F), using top/bottom heating elements and fan, for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool down.
For the Topping:
1. In a bowl, mix the coarsely ground walnuts and almonds.
For the Syrup:
1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan. When it starts boiling, simmer for 5-6 minutes, skimming off any foam. Then, add the lemon juice and keep the syrup on the lowest heat setting. Dip the melomakarona into the hot syrup and press them down gently with a ladle.
2. Leave them in the syrup for about 2 minutes on each side.
3. Remove the melomakarona onto a wire rack and sprinkle them with the ground walnuts and almonds.
