Melomakarouna (Honey Cookies)
Stuffed with Dates and Nuts)

Yield: about 100 cookies

Ingredients

Dough

• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 pounds all-purpose flour
• 2 sticks (1 cup) sweet, unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups Wesson oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Flour (about 1 pound more)

Filling

• 2 cups chopped nuts
• 1 pound chopped dates
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey

Syrup

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1 slice lemon (1/2 lemon)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups honey

Instructions

1. Add pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder to 2 pounds of flour.
2. Beat 2 sticks sweet (unsalted) butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar well. Add 2 cups of Wesson oil slowly, beating well. Add 1 egg and beat. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda to 1 1/2 cups orange juice and add quickly to mixture. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add flour to mixture until dough is soft but not sticky. You will use about another pound of flour, (about 3 pounds of flour in all).
3. Prepare filling. Combine 2 cups chopped nuts, 1 pound chopped dates, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons honey. Take 1 tablespoon dough and put about 1/2 teaspoon filling in center and then fold dough over to seal in filling. Bake at 350 degrees F until brown.
4. Prepare syrup. Boil 3 cups sugar and 4 cups of water with one slice lemon (1/2 lemon), 1 cinnamon stick until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Add 2 cups honey.
5. Dip cold cookies into warm syrup or dip warm cookies into cold syrup.
6. Dip each cookie into honey and then into ground nuts mixed with cinnamon.