Greek Olive Oil Cookies Recipes

LADOKOULOURA: GREEK STYLE OLIVE OIL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius.
• ​Zest the oranges before juicing them.
• ​Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl and whisk all the ingredients together.
• ​In another bowl, combine the olive oil, orange juice, water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to incorporate all of the ingredients.
• Add the flour mixture a little at a time whisking to combine.
• When the mixture becomes to thick to whisk, mix the rest of the flour in with your hands.
• ​Add the sesame seeds and mix until combined.
• ​At this point the dough will seem wet and sticky.
• Set it aside for 5 minutes and it will come together and become a very pliable cookie dough.
• ​Cut the dough into walnut sized balls. This recipe makes about 45.
• ​Roll the balls into logs and place onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave some room in between each cookie for rising. They will also spread slightly while baking.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies become slightly browned around the edges.
• ​It is a good idea to also rotate the trays halfway through baking. Switch the bottom tray to the upper rack and the top tray on the bottom. This will ensure even baking.
• Cool the cookies on cooling racks.
• ​Serve and enjoy!

GREEK OLIVE OIL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer, combine the olive oil and sugar and orange zest. Beat just under high speed for about five minutes to begin emulsifying. Add the orange juice and continue beating for another two minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together to flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves.
• On low speed, add the flour mixture to the olive oil mixture a half cup at a time, adding as the flour mixes in, but try not to over-mix. I turn the mixer off while adding each half cup and run it just until the flour combines.
• When the dough has formed, scoop by slightly heaping tablespoon size and form a ball. Dip the top of the ball into a bowl of sesame seeds, then placing it on a cookie sheet, press down a bit to flatten, this will press the seeds into the cookie as well. Space the cookies about two inches apart, although they really won't spread at all.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until the cookies begin to look golden and are crunchy the whole way through. They'll crisp up more as they cool. Cool on a baking rack.

MELOMAKARONA (GREEK OLIVE OIL-HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• Make the syrup: In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, cinnamon sticks and clove with 1 1/3 cups water. Cut orange in half and place in saucepan, flesh down. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Set aside to cool completely, leaving the cinnamon, clove and orange in the syrup until ready to use.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners, or lightly grease the pans with olive oil.
• Finely grate the zest of 1 orange into a large mixing bowl. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. If it doesn't measure 1 cup (240 milliliters), squeeze in enough juice from the other orange. Add juice to the bowl with the zest, then mix in olive oil, sugar, brandy, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, semolina and baking soda. Gradually, fold in the flour mixture into the olive oil mixture. With a wooden spoon, mix until flour is just evenly incorporated.
• Using your hands, roll dough into 1 1/2-inch ovals or egg-shapes, and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Using the palm of your hand, lightly flatten dough. Bake until cookies are golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through for even baking.
• Right before the cookies are done, remove the orange, cinnamon sticks and clove from the syrup. As soon as the cookies are out of the oven, and working in batches, dunk the hot cookies in the cool syrup, gently flipping them for about 10 seconds so they can absorb the syrup. Remove cookies from the syrup using a slotted spoon and arrange them on a tray or plate. Sprinkle the center of each cookie with a generous pinch of nuts, patting them lightly so they stick to cookies.
• Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To prevent the cookies from sticking together, place sheets of wax or parchment paper between cookie layers.