Greek Christmas Honey Cookies "Melomakarona"

In a small pot, combine water, sugar, a cinnamon stick, cloves, and half an orange. Simmer the mixture over low heat, intermittently stirring for 10 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the honey. Continuously stir the mixture until the honey is fully incorporated. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together orange juice, baking soda, sugar, seed oil, olive oil, orange zest, brandy, and spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg until everything is thoroughly mixed.

In a separate, sizable bowl, mix flour, semolina, and baking powder well.

Carefully pour the liquid mixture into the bowl and gently mix with your hand or a spatula for roughly a minute.

Using a spoon, form the batter into an oval shape. Create small holes in each piece with a fork. Place the pieces on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, submerge them in the syrup for 10 seconds to soak up all its sweetness.

Arrange the melomakarona artfully on a plate and top them with chopped walnuts. Enjoy!