Melomakarona

Ingredients

• 250ml extra virgin olive oil
• 120ml fresh orange juice
• 60ml brandy
• 100g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 500g plain flour
• 120g fine semolina
• 300g granulated sugar, for the syrup
• 250ml water, for the syrup
• 200g Greek honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 strip orange peel
• 150g walnuts, finely chopped

Before you cook

• Whisk the flour and semolina together in a large bowl.
• Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the orange juice in a small jug and let it fizz.
• Chop the walnuts finely and toss them with a pinch of extra cinnamon.

Steps

1. Put the granulated sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves and orange peel in a saucepan and bring it to the boil.
2. Simmer the syrup for five minutes without stirring, then take it off the heat and leave it to cool completely.
3. Whisk the olive oil, caster sugar and orange zest together in a large bowl for two minutes.
4. Whisk in the brandy, the fizzing orange juice, the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
5. Add the flour and semolina with the baking powder and fold everything together with a spatula until a soft oily dough just comes together.
6. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains, because kneading makes these cookies tough.
7. Let the dough rest for fifteen minutes.
8. Heat the oven to 180C fan-off and line two baking trays with parchment.
9. Take walnut-sized pieces of dough, roll them into ovals, and flatten them slightly on the trays.
10. Press the back of a fork or a fine grater into each one to leave a shallow pattern.
11. Bake the cookies for twenty-two to twenty-five minutes, until they are firm and evenly browned right through.
12. Drop the hot cookies straight into the cold syrup, six or seven at a time, and hold them under with a slotted spoon.
13. Soak each batch for around forty seconds, turning once, then lift them out and drain them on a rack over a tray.
14. Arrange the soaked cookies on a platter and scatter the chopped walnuts over them while they are still tacky.
15. Leave them to settle for at least four hours before serving, and store them uncovered so the tops stay glossy.