Ingredients

• 7 cup of All-purpose unbleached flour
• Extra flour for kneading
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of Baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 3/4 cup of Mild olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 1/2 cup of Cognac -OR- mavrothaphne wine -OR- ruby port
• 3 Oranges; zested and juiced
• 4 teaspoon of Freshly ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of Freshly ground clove
• 3/4 teaspoon of Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

• Start by making the syrup. Put the honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and lemon zest in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the lemon juice, then chill.
• To blanch the almonds, plunge them into boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until you see signs of their skins loosening. Then drain and slip or pop them from their skins onto a baking sheet. Toast them in an oven preheated to 350 F for about 10 minutes - just until they begin to color. Cool, then chop them very, very finely - if you do this in a food processor, make sure that the pulses are short, or the nuts could turn oily.
• Mix the ground almonds with the sugar and cinnamon and reserve.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together.
• Put the olive oil and sugar in a large bowl and beat together or with a wooden spoon.
• Beat in the Cognac, the orange zest, spices, and juice from 2 oranges (about 1/2 cup).
• Then beat in the flour, a few spoonfuls at a time, until you have a malleable dough, adding more flour if it is too soft, and more orange juice if it is too stiff.
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until very smooth.
• Pinch off pieces of dough of about 2 tablespons and form into flattened oval or lozenge shapes.
• Place them on an oiled or non-stick baking sheet.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 400-425 F for about 20 minutes, until brown.
• When they are cool enough to handle, dip them in the bowl of syrup for about 1 minute.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray to cool.
• Sprinkle with the chopped almond mixture.