Sugar-Free Melomakarona with Carob Syrup and Chocolate

• 200 Dates (Phoinikia)
• 150 Finely chopped walnuts
• 140 Oats or oat flour
• 50 Orange juice
• 1 Zest from a large orange
• 1 Teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 Pinch of ground cloves

For the Syrup

• 250 Water
• 70 Carob syrup (Haroppomelo)

For the Coating

• 250 Melted sugar-free dark chocolate (couverture)
• A little sunflower oil

1. We start with the syrup because it needs to be cold when the melomakarona are ready. In a saucepan, combine the water and carob syrup and heat it up. Once it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and let it cool down.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Soak the dates in warm water for a few minutes. Remove the dates from the water and blend them in a food processor until they form a smooth paste.
3. In a large bowl, add the date paste, the chopped walnuts, the oat flour (if using whole oats, you need to grind them in the blender), the orange juice and zest, the cinnamon, and the cloves. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
4. Shape the mixture into small bites, weighing about 30g each, and place them on a baking tray. Bake for about 20 minutes, until they get a nice color. Once the melomakarona are ready, drop the hot cookies into the cold syrup and leave them for a few seconds.
5. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler (bain-marie) with a little sunflower oil and dip the melomakarona in it. Place the cookies on parchment paper, sprinkle with walnuts, and enjoy without any guilt!