Melomakarona (Greek Honey Spice Cookies)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, orange juice, brandy, orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves until the sugar begins to dissolve and the mixture looks emulsified.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or spatula rather than an electric mixer. Stop as soon as the flour disappears — this dough has no gluten development to worry about and no butter to cream, so overmixing only makes it tough and encourages the oil to separate out again.
4. The dough should be soft, slightly oily, and easy to shape, somewhere between a thick batter and a firm cookie dough. If it feels wet enough to stick heavily to your palms, work in one or two more tablespoons of flour, a little at a time.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes; it firms up slightly and becomes easier to shape.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop out pieces of dough about the size of a walnut (roughly 1 tablespoon) and roll them between your palms into a smooth oval, tapering the ends slightly so they resemble a small football. Press the top gently against the fine side of a box grater or score it with a fork — the ridges help the cookie soak up syrup evenly later.
8. Arrange the shaped cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets and bake for 22–25 minutes, until they are firm to the touch and just golden on the bottom. Melomakarona should not brown deeply on top; an underbaked cookie won't hold its shape in the syrup, but an overbaked one won't absorb it properly.
9. While the cookies bake, make the syrup: combine the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick and orange peel.
10. The classic technique is to soak hot cookies in cool-to-room-temperature syrup, or cooled cookies in hot syrup — the key is always to have a temperature contrast between the two, since dunking hot cookies into hot syrup makes them fall apart. If your syrup is still hot, let it cool for about 10 minutes while the cookies cool briefly on the tray; both should be warm rather than piping hot.
11. Using a slotted spoon, lower a few cookies at a time into the syrup and let them soak for 20–30 seconds per side, pressing gently so the syrup soaks into the ridged tops. Lift them out and set them on a wire rack or platter to drain.
12. While the cookies are still moist from the syrup, sprinkle them generously with the chopped walnuts and a light dusting of cinnamon so the topping adheres.
13. Let the melomakarona sit at room temperature for at least an hour before serving so the syrup fully settles into the crumb. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two to three weeks — they only get better as the flavors meld over the first few days.