FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Melomakarona (Greek Christmas cookies) stuffed with sesame seeds

This is a different version than the classic Melomakarona. A traditional recipe coming for the beautiful island of Rhodes

Recipe from a recipe leaflet of the Greek olive oil company "ELAIS"

Ingredients:
6 tea-cups of all-purpose flour
½ tea-cup of sweetened vermouth
2 1/2 tea-cups of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tea-cups of honey
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp of brandy
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tea-cup of sesame seeds for sprinkling
1/2 tea-cup of sesame seeds, mixed with 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tbsp of mixed together ground cinnamon and cloves (for the filling)
1 ½ tea-cup of olive oil
2 tea-cups of water
1 orange, the juice
1 tbsp mixed ground cinnamon and cloves

For the syrup:
2 tea-cups of honey
2 tea-cups of sugar
2 tea-cups of water
1 cinnamon stick

Method:
In the bowl of a mixer beat the sugar with the oil for about 5 minutes to have a smooth mixture. Add the orange juice, the brandy, the baking powder, the soda, cinnamon and cloves, the vermouth and the flour and stir well. Take out of the bowl and knead with your hands well until you have a rather hard dough.

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Get pieces of the dough and shape into small oblong cookies. Press lightly with your thumb and enclose in each cookie one 1 tsp of the sesame seeds mixture. Continue in the same way until you have used all the dough and the filling.

Lightly grease a baking sheet and place the melomakarona loosely one next to the other in one layer. You might need more than one baking sheet.

Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until they get lightly coloured.

In the meantime put in a wide saucepan the ingredients of the syrup in medium heat and when they come to the boiling point let them simmer for about 5 minutes or until the syrup is slightly thick. Take off the heat.

Take the melomakarona out of the oven and let them cool completely. Using a slotted spatula dip the melomakarona, a few at at time, into the lukewarm syrup for about 1 minute (not more) and then transfer them on baking paper to drain the excess syrup.

Place them on spacious serving platters and sprinkle on top with the rest of the sesame seeds.