Melomakarona (Greek Christmas cookies) stuffed with spiced walnuts

This is yet another version of the popular Greek Christmas cookies. Stuffed with walnuts and spices this time and always dipped in honeyed syrup. A version that can be found in various areas of Greece 

Ingredients

For the melomakarona:
6 tea-cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tea-cups of granulated sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of baking soda
1/2 tea-cup of brandy
1 ½ tea-cup of olive oil
1 orange, the juice
2 oranges, the zest
1 tbsp of mixed ground cinnamon and cloves

For the filling:
1 tea-cup of finely chopped walnuts
1 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of mixed ground cloves and ground cinnamon

For the syrup:
2 tea-cups of honey
2 tea-cups of granulated sugar
2 tea-cups of water
1 cinnamon stick

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½ tea-cup of finely chopped walnuts to sprinkle

Method:
In a small bowl put all the filling ingredients and mix well to blend. Leave aside for later.

In the bowl of a standing mixer beat the sugar with the oil for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth mixture. Add the orange juice and the zest, the brandy, the baking powder, the soda, cinnamon and cloves and the flour and stir well. Take out of the bowl and knead well with your hands until you have a rather firm dough.

Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a couple of oven trays with baking paper.

Get pieces of the dough and shape into small-medium oblong cookies. Press lightly with your thumb on the centre and place in each cookie one 1 tsp of the walnut/honey filling. Continue in the same way until you have used all the dough and the filling.

Transfer the melomakarona on the trays loosely one next to the other in one layer. Take the melomakarona out of the oven and let them cool completely.

Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until they get lightly coloured.

In the meantime, put in a wide saucepan all the syrup ingredients in medium heat and when they come to the boil simmer for about 5 minutes or until the syrup is slightly thick. Take off the heat and leave aside.

Using a slotted spatoula dip the melomakarona, few at a time, into the lukewarm syrup for about 1 minute (not more) and then transfer on baking paper to drain the excess syrup.

Place them on spacious serving platters and sprinkle on top with the rest of the walnuts.