These traditional Greek spice biscuits are soaked in honey syrup and sprinkled with chopped nuts.
Ingredients
For serving:
150g walnuts
100 g pistachios
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
dried rose petals
For the syrup:
1 cup liquid honey
225g sugar
1/2 stick of cinnamon
Orange zest (a quarter of an orange)
For the dough:
500g flour
125 ml light olive oil
115g room temperature butter
115g icing sugar
60 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice
60 ml brandy or brandy
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Salt
Step by step recipe
Step 1
Prepare the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a pot, add 250 ml of water, stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring for 5-10 minutes until the syrup has thickened slightly. Be sure to remove the foam. Remove the cinnamon stick and orange zest from the syrup. Reduce the heat to low and keep the syrup warm until the biscuits are ready.
Step 2
To serve, finely chop the pistachios and walnuts and mix with the cinnamon.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Step 4
Place the olive oil, butter, icing sugar and all the spices in the mixer bowl and beat on high speed for 5 minutes.
Step 5.
Mix the orange juice, brandy, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl as the mixture begins to foam. Add this to the butter mixture, along with the salt and orange zest and whisk for 2 minutes.
Step 6
Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour (you may need a little more or a little less flour) until the dough comes together into a ball.
Step 7
Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts and place on baking trays a little apart from each other. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until dark golden in colour.
Step 8
Remove the finished biscuits from the oven and transfer a few at a time to the boiling syrup for 1-2 minutes, turning them over once to ensure they soak evenly.
Step 9
Place the biscuits on a platter, pour the remaining syrup over them and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and cinnamon. Decorate with the rose petals. Store at room temperature, covered with foil.