HONEY COOKIES (MELOMAKARONA) 1 cup butter 3/4 cup caster sugar 3/4 cup maize or peanut oil 1 orange, grated rind only 6 cups plain flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons orange juice 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts 2 drops almond essence 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1/2 cinnamon stick 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 thin strip of lemon rind 1/4 cup honey Beat butter and sugar with orange rind until creamy. Gradually add oil and continue beating until mixture is very light and fluffy. Stir in flour alternately with orange juice. Knead dough lightly with hands for 1 minute. Take a scant tablespoon of dough and flatten it a little. Place a teaspoon of the nut filling in the center and fold dough over to enclose filling. Shape into ovals, pinching ends to a point. Decorate tops with tines of fork or by crimping cookies diagonally across top in four rows with special crimper, or leave them plain. Place on lightly greased baking trays and bake in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Dip in boiling syrup, four at a time, turning cookies once. Leave in syrup 10 seconds in all, longer if well-soaked cookies are preferred. Lift out onto a plate and leave until cool. To make honey syrup: Place ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and boil over moderately high heat for 10 minutes and skim. Let syrup boil on a moderate heat while dipping cookies. Add a little water to syrup when it thickens too much during dipping. Crowd Pleaser
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