To begin, preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. This will prevent sticking and ensure even baking. Transition to making the dough.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, sugar, and honey until smooth and fluffy. This step enhances the cookies’ texture. Move on to adding the egg.

Beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Ensure the mixture is smooth and uniform before adding dry ingredients. Proceed to preparing the spice mix.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, ground walnuts, baking soda, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir well so the spices are evenly distributed. Transition to combining wet and dry ingredients.

Gradually add the dry mixture into the butter mixture, stirring until a soft but firm dough forms. If sticky, dust lightly with flour. Move to shaping.

Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll the dough to about 5mm thickness. Keep the dough even to ensure consistent baking. Transition to cutting shapes.

Use traditional moulds or simple cutters to shape the cookies. Place them neatly on the prepared tray, leaving slight space between each. Move to baking.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes until golden at the edges. Avoid overbaking to keep them slightly chewy inside. Proceed to cooling.

Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool. Prepare for optional finishing.

Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired. Serve with coffee, tea, or sweet wine for a traditional Croatian experience. Presentation tip: store in decorative tins for festive occasions.