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1
Place oven racks at the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350F.
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2
Spread the hazelnuts evenly on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the nuts are fragrant and dark brown but not burnt.
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3
Remove from the oven and cool.
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4
Once the nuts are cool, grind them, skins and all, in a food processor until finely ground, about 20 seconds.
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5
Rub two baking sheets lightly with butter.
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6
While the nuts are toasting, sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, pouring back any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.
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7
Add the softened butter and the ground hazelnuts to the dry ingredients and rub the butter into the dough with your fingers.
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8
The ingredients should just barely come together.
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9
Dump the dough out onto a floured work surface and press it together.
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10
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of about 3/16 inch.
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11
If the dough seems to be cracking, push it back into place and continue rolling.
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12
You probably won't need any additional flour to roll out the dough, as it will be quite dry.
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13
Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles and transfer them to the buttered baking sheets.
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14
Alternatively, you can use cookie cutters of any shape.
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15
Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, depending on the size and shape of your cookies.
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16
Rotate the pan halfway through.
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17
The cookies should be evenly golden, with slightly darker edges and a dark golden bottom crust.
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18
When the cookies come out of the oven, move them onto a baking rack for glazing.
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19
Meanwhile, make the syrup.
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20
In a small saucepan over a low flame, melt the honey, cardamom, orange zest, and orange-blossom water.
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21
Do not let the syrup boil, as you don't want to reduce the honey and risk crystallization.
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22
Stir the syrup and remove it from the heat, letting it infuse for a minimum of 15 minutes.
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23
To glaze the cookies, brush each one twice while they are still warm to give the glaze a chance to soak into them.
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24
These cookies are best eaten as soon as they've cooled, but they'll keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
