Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Arrange the oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter smells nutty and golden brown specks appear in the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful here, as the liquid in the butter begins to evaporate, it will pop and spit a bit and the butter can burn instead of brown in seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Immediately add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom to the browned butter in the saucepan and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.

In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and baking soda, then stir the mixture into the saucepan.

Add the flour, oats, walnuts, and pistachios and stir until well combined and a stiff dough forms.

Use a 1-tablespoon cookie dough scoop or a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to make 30 slightly heaped portions of dough. If the dough is crumbly, press and roll the portions between your palms to bring it together. Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and puffed in the centers, 10 to 14 minutes. Do not overbake.