XMAS SWEETS MADE WITH LOVE BY MRS. MITSIS

Level of Difficulty: Medium

Portions: About 60 cookies

Ingredients

For syrup

2 cups honey

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

For the cookies

1 cup olive oil

1 cup corn oil

¾ cups sugar

1 cup cognac

300g orange juice

7 ½ flour (soft)

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Method

For the syrup

1. Boil all of the ingredients for the syrup, apart from honey, until sugar melts. Remove from heat. Add the honey and mix till combined.
2. Let syrup cool for 3-4 hours. It must be cold by the time the cookies come out from the oven.

For the cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 180* C (350*F) Fan.
2. Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix, using a hand whisk.
3. Mix by hand, very gently and for a very short time (10 seconds at the most). If you mix longer the mixture will split or curdle.
4. Mold cookie dough into oval shapes, 3-4 cm in length, 30 g each. Try to keep them as similar as possible.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until they are crunchy and dark golden brown.
6. As soon as you remove them from the oven, soak the hot cookies in the syrup for 10 seconds.
7. Allow them to drain on a wire rack.
8. Drizzle with honey and chopped walnuts.

Greek Almond Snow Balls – Kourabiedes

Level of Difficulty: Medium

Portions: 60-65

Ingredients

750g all-purpose flour

650g fresh butter

480g roasted almonds

½ cup icing sugar

2 egg yolks

½ glass of wine cognac

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF / 180oC.
2. In a standing mixer, beat the butter with the icing sugar on high speed, for 15 minutes, until pale and frothy.
3. Add the egg yolks, cognac, and beat for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and slowly add the flour and the baking powder. Knead the dough during the addition, until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Avoid over kneading unless you crave stiff kourabiedes!
5. Add the roasted almonds and knead.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. With your hands, form medium-sized round cookies. Put on the baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.
9. Allow to cool down completely before dusting with icing sugar.