Melomakarona

Name: Melomakarona
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 cup water; 3/4 cup honey; COOKIES:; 1 cup confectioners' sugar; 2 cups olive oil; 1/2 cup Cognac; 1/2 cup orange juice; 1 tablespoon honey; 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 4 teaspoons grated orange zest; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup ground toasted walnuts

Growing up in Cyprus, we would see this melomakarona cookie everywhere during the holidays. Every year my mother, Thelma, would make plate after plate of these all Christmas long. It's just not the holidays without them. —Paris Paraskeva, San Francisco, California

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup honey
COOKIES:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup Cognac
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons grated orange zest
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup ground toasted walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, combine sugar, water and honey; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, for cookies, in a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar and oil until blended. Beat in Cognac, orange juice and honey. In another bowl, whisk flour, orange zest, baking powder and cinnamon; gradually beat into sugar mixture.
Shape tablespoons of dough into 1-in.-thick ovals. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks.
Float and turn warm cookies in syrup about 10 seconds; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with walnuts. Let stand until set. Store between pieces of waxed paper in airtight containers.