Greek Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

• 100g granulated sugar
• 60g melted butter
• 240ml vegetable oil or light olive oil
• 100ml fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 400-500g all-purpose flour

FOR THE SYRUP & TOP

• 350ml water
• 100g honey
• 150g granulated sugar
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1/2 peel of orange
• 150g crushed walnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, melted butter, orange juice, brandy (or cognac). Add 100g of sugar to the mix and whisk together.
3. Place a sieve over the wet ingredients and add half of the flour, ground cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to fully incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Sieve the rest of the flour into the mixture and mix. Use your hands to knead the dough until the flour is fully incorporated.
4. Grab a small amount of the dough to start forming the cookie. Move it back and forth between your hands until you form a small ball shape – this should be about the size of a golf ball. Then shape it into an oval. Once you have gone through all the dough, lay out the cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes.
5. While the cookies are baking in the oven, make the syrup. In a saucepan over medium-high heat combine the water, honey, 150g of sugar, cinnamon stick, and the orange peel. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved. Strain the syrup into a bowl to remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel.
6. Place the cookies – about 3 at a time- directly into the syrup and let soak for about 30 seconds on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cookies from the syrup then roll the tops into the crushed walnuts. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack.
7. Serve and enjoy!