12.13.2012

Honey Cookies


It appears I share a German heritage with Pastry Affair....although I don't remember my grandmother ever making these cookies.  I love the spices, the coffee addition and the anise in the glaze. The sour cream makes these a soft cookie and after tasting them, it's no wonder the recipe has been "shared between mother and daughter, grandmother through granddaughter, and cousin to cousin."  Pastry Affair's family has a winner here.


Honey Cookies

From Pastry Affair






Yields approximately 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup honey 
1 cup brown sugar 
1/2 heaping teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 heaping teaspoon nutmeg 
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 teaspoon anise extract 
1/4 cup butter 
1/4 cup black coffee 
2 eggs, beaten 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 teaspoons baking soda 
1 teaspoons baking powder 
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Method:
In a large saucepan, bring the honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and anise extract to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and add the butter and coffee. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before adding the eggs, sour cream, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir well. Mix in the flour to form a soft dough. Refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a heavily floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. You may need to work in up to 1/2 cup flour to prevent dough from sticking. Cut out 2 inch round cookies, re-rolling dough as needed. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned and puffed. Cool completely before glazing. 

Anise Glaze 

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar 
1/8 teaspoon anise extract 
2 teaspoons heavy cream, plus extra if needed

Method:
In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, anise extract, and heavy cream. If glaze is too thick, add more cream 1 teaspoon at a time until glaze is spreadable. Spread glaze onto cookies and allow to rest for a few minutes for glaze to set before serving.

18 comments:

  1. My grandmother used to make something similar. I loved them.

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  2. Lovely cookies! They must taste divine with all those spices and that addition of honey.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. The Knight has a strong German "family tree" through his paternal side, but those sound right up my alley. If ever I am a lady of leisure, I'm inviting myself to come do holiday baking with you!

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  4. oh Barbara dear, look delicious , always love honey cookies I think are special and delicious!
    I bookmarked! (other more)

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  5. and yes Ar typical of german baking, we love maybe you remember I mention we have a lot ofgerman recipes because many years ago in the south arrive a lot of german:)

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  6. What a stunning honey cookie recipe :D
    I could eat so many!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  7. Shared and passed down recipes are the best. I love anything with the flavor of anise. Hope you are unpacked and know where everything is :)
    Sam

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  8. I'm with Sam! Hope you are settling in and, at least, have found your Christmas decorations. These cookies are good to look at and sound delicious!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  9. Honey? Coffee? Cinnamon? Sour cream? Wowwww, what an intriguing mix of flavors. Sounds like a complex and FANTASTIC flavor profile. I'd love to serve this and have people guess what's in it! :D

    And those brownie bowties look to die for!

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  10. These sound wonderful, Barbara! Anything recipe that links us to our heritage, whether made by our mothers or not makes us feel connected.

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  11. GOOD MORNING BARBARA!

    Oh how nice it is to see you again! You have moved? Now that is a huge project and would definitely put a stop on all blogging! It really is nice to see your comment and THESE COOKIES! My mum made something similar once, but with a simple sugar glaze. Those had to be my favorites; they were really soft and a bit chewy and I remember begging her to make them again, but she had only made them one Christmas and after that, never again!

    I wish you a lovely Christmas and celebration with your loved ones my dear!! Anita

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  12. What lovely treats. I am partial to anise so I know I would love this spicy cookies. They sound delicious, Barbara. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary

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  13. It's the blood and DNA Barbara even though you don't remember eating them! And they look so tasty!

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  14. anise extract is stuh-rong! it's powerful stuff, but if it's used correctly, it's oh-so-tasty. nice recipe!

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  15. Some really wonderfully wintery flavors here, I like the anise glaze.

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  16. I love the star anise in these. They sound delicious!

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  17. o yes, these are a must-bake and-have during X'mas season over here. Yours look divine!

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  18. These look so good! Perfect for this time of the year!

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