Fenikia

This classic cookie is served all over Greece. In some parts of the country they call them melomakarona, which means "honey macaroons."

On Ikaria and the other southern islands, and in the Peloponnese , they are called fenikia - "little Phoenicians." Apparently when Cadmus and crew were spreading their culture around the Mediterranean in 800 BC, they offered cookies along with the alphabet lessons. Today's pastries are still named for the ancients who invented them. Greeks have long memories.

The first time I made baklava, I was sure I'd written the recipe down wrong. Was it really telling me to pour hot wet syrup all over the tray of pastry I'd spent hours on, carefully layering and slicing up into little symmetrical diamonds, then watching closely as it baked to the perfect shade of golden brown? I was convinced it would be ruined. But my husband Andreas said to just have faith and dump that boiling liquid on there. I did, and they turned out great. So with years of baklava experience behind me, this fenikia recipe didn't scare me at all. Boil those crunchy cookies in honey? I'm on it.

Andreas's Aunt Koula is the queen of Greek pastries. She shared her recipe with me last summer. I'm giving her equal billing with the Phoenicians.

Thea Koula’s Fenikia

3 C liquid shortening (cooking oil – see note)
1 ½ C melted unsalted butter
1 ½ C sugar
1 ½ C orange juice
3 T baking powder
10 ½ C flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stir together oil and melted butter. Mix in the sugar and orange juice. Sift the baking powder with the flour, then add the dry to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Batter/dough will be quite oily.

Shape dough in small ovals (about 2 ½ inches long and 1 ½ inches wide) on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower temperature to 325 and bake 15 to 25 minutes longer. Keep an eye on the cookies – they should be well browned but not burnt.

While they are baking, make the syrup:

1 lb honey
2 C sugar
1 ½ C water
Juice of ½ lemon

Boil all ingredients together for 15 minutes. Keep warm.

When cookies are baked, bring the syrup back to a simmer. Immerse the cookies in the syrup 7 or 8 at a time (or however many fit easily into the pot). Leave them in the syrup 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and place on tray. While hot, sprinkle with:

1 C walnuts, finely chopped

Let the cookies sit out overnight before serving.

This recipe makes a lot of cookies: these are traditionally served at weddings, memorials, and large holiday gatherings. The recipe works fine if you halve it.