The Tsapatsaris Family’s Fenekia – Greek Honey Dipped Cookies – have pleased generations. Read more recipes from the Wildwood Family Cookbook here. Bon Appetit!
“My memory of cookies and cookies like these is going to my Aunt Stella and Yiayia’s house in Lowell, Massachusetts once a year. They always had a tin of such cookies. Somehow these Greek cookies always remain fresh and delightfully crumbly. I highly recommend dipping them in hot black coffee like my aunt and yiayia before me…
– Melinda Tsapatsaris” 
Need help whilst making cookies?
Text Melinda at 323-219-2266
The Tsapatsaris Family’s Fenekia
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 144 cookies 1x
Description
The Tsapatsaris Family’s Fenekia – Greek Honey Dipped Cookies – have pleased generations. Read more recipes from the…
Ingredients
- 7 cups (1.68 L) of flour
- 2 heaping tbsp of baking powder
- 2 cups (480 ml) of vegetable oil
- 1 cup (225 g) of Butter, melted
- 1 cup (240 ml) of orange juice
- 1 cup (240 ml) of sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) of walnuts, chopped
- 1 oz (30 ml) of cognac or brandy
- syrup (below)
- chopped nuts (to add to top)
Instructions
- Sift together flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, combine oil and melted butter. Add orange juice, sugar, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, and cognac. Gradually mix flour into oil-and-butter mixture by hand and knead until a dough is formed that does not stick to the hands. Add more flour if necessary. Shape into small ovals, place on un greased baking sheets, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 25 minutes longer or until well browned.
- While in the oven, start on the syrup. Get syrup to a simmer and when cookies come out of the oven, submerge 3-4 cookies at a time. Allow them to remain in syrup for 2 to 3 minutes, remove and place again on baking sheets to drain. Sprinkle with chopped nuts straightaway.
- Eat right away or you can store in airtight tins when cooled. These cookies may be baked in advance and stored, and dipped into syrup as needed. Yield: 12 dozen small cookies.
- Syrup: Combine a 12-oz jar of honey, two cups of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of water, and juice of 1/2 lemon. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. (Make sure not to over boil, can get too thick..)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 140
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe bake at two different temperatures?
The cookies start at 400°F for 10 minutes to set their shape, then the oven drops to 325°F for 25 minutes more until well browned. The two-stage bake gives the cookies structure first, then allows slow, even browning without burning the outside.
How does the honey syrup dipping work, and can I do it in advance?
The syrup is made while the cookies bake by combining a 12-oz jar of honey, 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, and juice of 1/2 lemon, boiled for 15 minutes (but not over-boiled or it gets too thick). Fresh-from-the-oven cookies are submerged 3–4 at a time in the simmering syrup for 2–3 minutes, then drained and sprinkled with chopped nuts immediately. The recipe also notes the cookies can be baked in advance and stored, then dipped in syrup as needed.
What is the traditional way to eat these cookies?
The article’s family note specifically recommends dipping them in hot black coffee, as Melinda Tsapatsaris’s aunt and yiayia did — and notes that the cookies remain fresh and “delightfully crumbly” even after sitting.
