In a large pot, heat water, sugar, orange slice and honey. Allow to boil for three minutes after it starts simmering. Remove from heat. Stir well and allow to completely cool down in room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, maize oil, brandy, sugar, cinnamon, clover, orange zest.
In a cup, mix the baking soda with the orange juice. Add to the oil mixture.
Sift the flour with the baking powder into the mixture. Mix using your hands, until all ingredients are blended, for about 2-3 minutes. The final mixture should be soft and beautifully incorporated.

Pull off a medium sized piece of dough and shape it into an oval cookie using your hands.

Gently press the cookie on a grater to form a pattern on it.

Place each cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave a few inches space among the cookies as they will double in size in the oven.

Keep shaping and flattening the cookies until all dough is used up.

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

While the melomakarona are still hot, soak them in the syrup. Using a deep-fry skimmer, soak one melomakarono at a time in the cold syrup for 10 seconds. Please on a wire rack and allow to rest and soak the syrup, for at least one hour.

Serve the melomakarona on a platter. Garnish with crushed walnuts.