Melomakarona, the traditional Greek, fragrant, honey-infused Christmas cookies are my favorites! They are vegan, because people ate them during the days of Lent that precede Christmas according to the Orthodox doctrines that some people follow, even if they are not religious. Now they are being rediscovered, as baking with olive oil has become trendy, and even the NYT published a version recently. I have slightly updated my mother’s recipe –which she had from her own mother– adding some ground nuts in the dough.

I think you will find these cookies irresistible, but if you manage to save them for later, they will get even better the next days. They keep for up to 1 month so you may want to double the recipe, especially if you bake melomakarona with friends, as we usually do.

An extra bonus of this aromatic but healthy dough is that you can use it as pie crust, filling it with cooked apples, quince, or make an irresistible lemony tart with just Lemon Curd as its filling. 

A recent favorite of ours is the old German Lebkuchen  which are fragrant with the enticing Lebkuchen Spice Mix.  It contains all kinds of spices, even ground coriander seeds, but strangely, no ginger! The blogger whose recipe I fam following, strangely calls it German Gingerbread Spice Mix, probably because she caters to Americans, for whom Lebkuchen is not a household name. My only addition to her recipe is an extra 2/3 cup finely ground almonds or almond meal because I don’t use the rice-paper wafers –difficult to find on our island—and wanted to make the dough somewhat thicker. Also, Costas and I prefer the cookies plain, or just drizzled with some bitter chocolate, so I skip the full dipping in chocolate the recipe calls for.

Also traditionally prepared for Christmas and the New Year, kourambiedes are delicate melt-in-the-mouth cookies. You find similar cookies in various Middle Eastern countries, often sprinkled with rose water or citrus flower water just before they are rolled in confectioner’s sugar. The old Greek island recipes called for lard, as butter was not a common ingredient. There are also recipes for kourambiedes made with the strongly-flavored sheep’s milk butter, while there are Lenten versions made entirely with olive oil. Today most homes and bakeries prepare the cookies exclusively with butter, but I love this old, Cycladic version. The last years I have become addicted to the kourambiedes baked by Tsourtis, our best island baker in Hora, the main town. He basically uses butter, but also some sheep’s milk butter and bakes his cookies in his wood-fired oven, which gives his kourambiedes an irresistible nutty flavor!

See also my take on the classic Ginger Snap Cookies, based on the recipe of King Arthur Baking.

I reduced the amount of sugar in the mix since the topping makes them far too sweet, anyway. Also I prefer to make them with olive oil instead of any ‘shortening,’ and of course I use grated fresh ginger that gives them a lovely, fragrant kick.

As for the ‘molasses’ mentioned, the only kind we have here is Grape Molasses, which has a wonderfully deep flavor. In Greece the traditional Moustokouloura (grape molasses cookies) are vegan –no egg– as they are a favorite Lenten treat. But frankly, these gingery ones are far better-tasting and easier (!)

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“Fluffy, eggy, buttery, sweet, coiled like a snail’s shell, and generously dusted with powdered sugar, the pan de Mallorca is named for its land of origin, in Spain. They are delicious on their own, or split and turned into sweet-and-savory ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches,” the magazine’s introduction explained.

The dough is very similar to challah and the traditional Greek tsoureki,  –the sweet brioche-like festive breads we bake for Christmas and Easter. In my version I substituted light olive oil for the butter, and used whole eggs, instead of just egg yolks, then I decided to brush the dough rectangle with my Seville orange marmalade before rolling and cutting the buns. I also placed them one roll next to the other, like cinnamon rolls, and I wish I had managed to make all the buns roughly the same size…

(Photo from Saveur magazine) 

Makes 6 large buns           

1 package instant active dry yeast

½ cup whole milk, slightly warm

1/3 cup light olive oil (or unsalted butter, melted)

3 medium eggs

3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Fine zest of 1 large orange

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup citrus marmalade

3 tablespoons ground almonds

OR

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

In the bowl of a standing mixer add the yeast and the milk, and whisk for 3-4 minutes, adding the olive oil and the eggs, until you get a smooth mixture.

In a separate bowl add the flour, orange zest, salt, and sugar, and toss to mix.

Change the whisk, fitting the mixer with the dough hook and with the motor running at low speed gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients, and work the mixture for about 5-6 minutes, until you get a wet, sticky dough.

Oil a medium bowl and transfer the dough in it; cover with oiled film and let rise for about 1 ½ hours, until doubled.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle about 16-by-8-inches (40 X 20 cm.).

Brush the surface of the dough evenly with the marmalade and sprinkle with the ground almonds.  Starting at one of the short ends, roll the rectangle up into a tight cylinder. Slice the cylinder crosswise into 6 equal pieces, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet, placing one roll next to the other.

Alternatively, you can brush the dough rectangle with the butter and roll, then cut into 6 pieces, and place on the baking sheet spacing them at least 3 inches apart.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside until puffed and nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 370°F (180 C) with a rack in the center. Uncover the buns and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then, if you did not use the marmalade, dust the buns generously with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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“This holiday recipe comes from the baking expert Dorie Greenspan. She calls it “all-in-one” because it includes elements from both Thanksgiving and Christmas: pumpkin, nutmeg, cranberries and ginger. It’s really the perfect dessert for either feast, or any occasion in between,” writes Moskin in her introduction.

Both our friends, who were with us this past weekend, as well as Costas, who loves all kinds of moist and nutty cakes, agreed that this is a real treat!

It is very easy to make, especially if you bake it in two long cake pans, as I did, instead of the more elaborate but tricky Bundt pan.

No glaze is necessary, but if you happen to have some lemon curd it is a lovely addition!

Makes 2 long Cake Pans (more than 12 servings)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Fine zest from 1/2 lemon (optional)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼  teaspoon grated nutmeg

Pinch salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¾ cup light olive oil, plus more for the pan

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 ½  cups mashed baked butternut squash or pumpkin (or canned pumpkin purée)

1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 cup shelled pistachios (unsalted)

Lemon Curd for serving (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center. Lightly oil two long  (6-cup) cake pans, preferably lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest (if using) cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the eggs and both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 or 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and grated ginger and beat for 2 minutes more.

Reduce the speed to low and add the squash or pumpkin. Don’t be concerned if the batter looks curdled. Add gradually the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. With a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pistachios. Scrape the batter into the pans and smooth the top.

Bake directly on the oven rack for about 50 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature on the rack. Serve in thick slices with Lemon Curd, if you like.

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