Melomakarona ⋆ Finikia ⋆ Greek Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons Metaxa (a Greek spirit), cognac, whiskey, or Ouzo (another Greek spirit), which will impart a slight anise flavor
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (if you have some semolina on hand, you can replace 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup semolina - this helps them absorb the syrup better)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups honey
• 1/2 cup ground walnuts or almonds