Melomakarona, Greek honey cookies

Any syrup-based Greek dessert starts with the syrup, because it has to cool.

Put the orange peel, cinnamon stick, sugar, water and optional cloves in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

As soon as the sugar dissolves, add the honey, mix, take it off the heat and set aside to cool completely; it can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, orange zest and semolina flour together first, so only one whisk gets dirty.

In the second bowl combine the granulated sugar, light olive oil, vanilla and orange juice.

Dilute the baking soda in the orange juice and whisk it all together.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet and mix only until it forms a dough -- a few seconds. Overmixing makes the oil seep out and the cookies greasy instead of tender, crisp and crumbly.

Form ovals of about a tablespoon of dough, 35 to 40 grams each, rolling them in your hands and pressing the ends in so they are not pointy and do not burn; set them on two parchment lined trays.

Pierce the top of each cookie with a fork; this makes a pattern, helps them bake evenly and helps them absorb the syrup.

Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes until beautifully golden brown; both trays can go in together, one on the centre rack and the other as close above it as possible.

Dunk the hot cookies straight from the oven into the cooled syrup, about five at a time, for about 15 to 20 seconds maximum, turning them so the syrup absorbs all the way through, then transfer to a plate.

Top the dunked cookies with the walnut, cinnamon and clove mixture.

Serve, or cool completely; any leftover syrup can be poured over a platter of them, and in some parts of Greece honey is drizzled on top.

Variation: once cooled completely, dip them in melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate instead of the nut topping, or drizzle it over.