Dec 17

Dec 17 Where Have You Been All My Life ...

Bread Cake Pastry, Greek, Travel, Robert Jones, Corfu

I think Christmas always brings out the best in food - or is that it brings out the best food?

Whereas in the UK we might reach out for Mince Pies at Christmas, you’ll find little Greek fingers making their way to the Μελομακάρονα - Melomakarona - AKA Honey Macaroons.

I was doing a recce in the local supermarket here in Corfu, in search for the essentials of Christmas Dinner (for 1) this year away from the homeland. I think I am confident I can make a pretty good effort - especially seeing as though there seemed to be plenty of Turkey and Sprouts on offer. I never really considered Greece to be a ‘Sprout’ nation, but apparently I was wrong.

So I was having a look around to see what specialities were given pride of place this festive season.

Lots of very sweet treats was the answer.

First into the basket were Μελομακάρονα - the Honey Macaroons. It’s very hard to describe them really … but the overriding feature is that they are drenched in honey, which is always a winner for me.

Tasting them, I couldn’t make out the ingredients - other than the honey. It’s not quite cake. It’s much finer. And I was right, it’s made with Semolina.

So… start with the syrup.

300g water, 600g sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 1 orange, cut in half, and 200g honey.

Put all the ingredients apart from the honey into a pan and boil for 5 mins, until the sugar is dissolved. Then stir in the honey and put to one side.

For the cake…

150g of Semolina, 500g flour and 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder into one bowl and mix well.

In a second bowl, all the rest of the ingredients:

100ml Orange juice, 3 Tablespoons of Cognac, 100g sugar along with a tablespoon of powdered Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cloves, a teaspoon of Vanilla Essence, and mix well.

Add a tablespoon of baking soda and whisk till it’s foamy. Add about 100g of water, 125ml of Olive Oil, and same of Sunflower Oil, some Orange Zest and 50ml of Honey. Mix well.

Combine the bowls and knead it into a sticky dough.

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Mould the mix into egg shapes. and place on some greaseproof paper on a tray. Prick deeply with a fork.

Cook for about 20 minutes.

While hot - dip the macaroons into the honey mix you made earlier for about 20 seconds, and then set aside to cool. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts and powdered cinnamon.

Apparently they’ll keep for weeks.

(Laughs like a drain)