Do you like melomakarona but don’t want to offer something that sweet to your little ones? Has your baby started eating solid foods and wants to eat exactly what you eat? Are you vegan, and/or is your child vegan? Are you having a hard time saying no to your children but at the same time want to maintain a balance in their diet? Then, you’re in the right place, because this baby-friendly vegan melomakarona is exactly what you’re looking for. They’re so delicious, they’re nutritious, they’re as sweet as they have to be, they’re suitable for children over the age of 6 months, they’re vegan, and I’m certain that you want to try them, so see the recipe!
Baby-friendly vegan melomakarona? Why?
First of all, because they’re healthier
I know that many of you are already thinking, “Come on, it’s just one time a year, what’s the problem?” Let me tell you though that these baby-friendly and vegan melomakarona were created first for us, and then for the little hands. When I’m making desserts, it’s to fulfil our need for something sweet, since children, especially children that young, don’t need sweet things. They don’t know what a dessert is if we don’t teach them or if we don’t put a higher value to it in their eyes. Additionally, I don’t like eating in secret, hidden from the little hands, nor do I like the phrase, “My love, this is only for Mommy/Daddy.” I want the joy of sharing with him something that I like, just like he shares everything he likes with us. And why resort to jealousies and shouts when there are simple choices for delicious desserts suitable for all ages?
And what is “baby-friendly” or “vegan?”
For a dessert to be baby friendly, it has to be suitable for children older than 6 months old. And what is forbidden for children under the age of one year old? That’s right, honey (and salt, and fresh milk). So, for melomakarona to be suitable for children that young, they should have no honey. Of course, don’t forget that you should always be careful with sweet foods at these ages, as well as with older kids.
Honey is also the only ingredient that made melomakarona forbidden for vegan people, so by substituting honey with carob syrup, the recipe is suitable for vegans as well.
What we are going to need
- Olive oil. A necessary ingredient for melomakarona is high-quality olive oil.
- Emmer wheat flour. More nutritious and with less gluten, and a great substitute for white flour. Emmer wheat, or “zeas” wheat, is one of the main ingredients in this recipe. Don’t forget to sift it, you’ll be surprised by what remains inside your sieve. Alternatively, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Unwaxed orange. You’ll need the zest as well as the juice, specifically 70 grams. Additionally, we’ll need the orange skin for the syrup.
- Carob syrup. Carob syrup has a characteristic taste and is this recipe’s sweetener. It’s nutritious, and sweet, with a chocolatey aftertaste. If you haven’t tried it before, get ready to be pleasantly surprised. It’s suitable for children over the age of 6 months. The result was exactly as sweet as we needed, but you can adjust to your tastes. Theoretically, you can substitute with honey if you don’t care about making it baby friendly or vegan, but I haven’t tried it with this specific recipe.
- Vinegar. White, red, apple cider, it doesn’t matter. I use whatever I happen to have in my pantry.
- Cinnamon and cloves. A staple for melomakarona. You should use the cinnamon powder in the dough, and you’ll need a cinnamon stick for the syrup.
- Baking powder and soda. You’ll dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice and then you’ll add it to the mixture. Make sure to do it over the bowl where you’re preparing the mixture because as you can imagine, it will overflow. If you don’t have your little ones next to you already, call them to see it or to do it themselves, because they’ll be impressed. The baking powder, less impressively, will be mixed with the flour.
Tips
- Be careful when mixing the dough, your movements must be smooth, and the process shouldn’t take too long. Scrape the flour from the bowl’s walls with round movements. Remember, you’re not kneading, you’re mixing.
- I suggest adding the melomakarona to the syrup only after they’ve grown cold while the syrup is still hot, and not the other way around.
- Because temperature differs from oven to oven, you might need to adjust the baking time.
- The dosages below make 25–30 melomakarona.
- If you have leftover syrup, add it over the melomakarona directly or store in a glass jar in the fridge and use it on pancakes and more.
- I processed the walnuts in a food processor until they were almost a powder, but you can adjust it to your tastes, even chop them into thicker pieces.
- Here in Crete, we usually add some walnut—actually, very much walnut—so I added some to the serving plate and kept some aside in a jar so that anyone could add more on top if they wanted to (and everyone did want more).
- For a stronger aroma and taste, I mix cinnamon powder with walnut and cloves.
So, what happened with Santa Claus? Where is our vegan melomakarona?
I don’t know if you noticed, but we had company during the shooting. Santa Claus (Old Man Vasilis[1], or “Mparmpa Vasilis” for us) came and sat with us, asking to try some. He was discreet initially, even a little shy, and he ate just a bite. But he liked them, so he took the plate in his hands and started eating them, not giving any to his reindeer! It didn’t take him too long… He couldn’t stop eating them because they were very tasty, and he was glad when I told him that they were healthier and sugar-free. Then, he fell asleep on his back, holding onto his tummy. His reindeer barely managed to get him up and bring him to his home at the North Pole. He was polite; before he left, he thanked us, though he didn’t hug us due to COVID-19, he did send us kisses as he took off in his sleight, shouting, “Don’t forget to set aside some of this melomakarona when I come to give you your gifts. And make sure to share the recipe with as many kids as possible, because I really liked them, and since this melomakarona is healthier, it’ll help keep me fit! Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!”
Do you want more Christmas recipes?
In the bowl where you’ve sifted the flour, add the cinnamon, the cloves, and the baking powder, and mix.
In another bowl, mix the olive oil, the zest, and the carob syrup.
Add the vinegar and mix.
Mix the orange juice and the baking soda in a glass. Make sure to do it over the bowl. Then, add it to the mixture.
Finally, add the flour little by little and mix with your hands.
Mix well by hand until a dough forms, and don’t forget to scrape off the flour from the walls of the bowl.
Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes before making the melomakarona.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Take a little dough with a spoon and shape it.
Place the melomakarona on the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other.
Press a fork or a grater on the melomakarona one by one, creating their little holes.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Add all the ingredients in a pot and set over low heat. Mix 2–3 times until homogenous. Then, remove from the heat.
After the melomakarona have cooled down, dip them in the syrup one by one using a slotted spoon for half a minute, turning them over once.
Process the walnuts though a food processor and mix in a little cinnamon powder.
Sprinkle the melomakarona with the processed walnuts and enjoy.
Ingredients
Directions
In the bowl where you’ve sifted the flour, add the cinnamon, the cloves, and the baking powder, and mix.
In another bowl, mix the olive oil, the zest, and the carob syrup.
Add the vinegar and mix.
Mix the orange juice and the baking soda in a glass. Make sure to do it over the bowl. Then, add it to the mixture.
Finally, add the flour little by little and mix with your hands.
Mix well by hand until a dough forms, and don’t forget to scrape off the flour from the walls of the bowl.
Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes before making the melomakarona.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Take a little dough with a spoon and shape it.
Place the melomakarona on the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other.
Press a fork or a grater on the melomakarona one by one, creating their little holes.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Add all the ingredients in a pot and set over low heat. Mix 2–3 times until homogenous. Then, remove from the heat.
After the melomakarona have cooled down, dip them in the syrup one by one using a slotted spoon for half a minute, turning them over once.
Process the walnuts though a food processor and mix in a little cinnamon powder.
Sprinkle the melomakarona with the processed walnuts and enjoy.
Αυτό το περιεχόμενο χορηγείται με άδεια Creative Commons Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Μη Εμπορική Χρήση-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 4.0 Διεθνές .
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