Fluffy, cakey, with a pleasantly crunchy outer layer, and extremely soft inside. Softest honey cookies in the world, full of nostalgic festive flavor – like mini honey cakes. And what’s even better, they are insanely easy to make. We all get so busy during the Holiday season, and these honey cookies might become your saviors.
Honey – essential ingredient in honey cookies
Honey cookies have to contain honey – there are no doubts about it. Honey adds sweetness and a characteristic taste and makes these cookies so soft. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, and they will stay soft for a long time.
Baking time challenge
The hardest part in making these honey cookies is to decide how long to bake. Baking too long will dry them out, but slightly underbaked cookies will collapse, as a cake would do (because they are so cakey!). When they start forming cracks on the surface, they still need a minute or two in the oven (depending on your oven). The most reliable method is to insert a toothpick in the middle: if the dough still sticks to it, give cookies some more time, but if it comes out clean – they are done. If your cookies have collapsed, don’t stress too much about it, they will still be very tasty!
Cut out cookies from this honey cookie dough
I love how these cookies look – like tiny loaves of bread covered in sugar crystals. But if you are looking for rolled and cut-out honey cookies that would be soft inside, this dough could be a perfect choice. After chilling it, roll the dough to ~1 cm / 0.4-inch thickness, cut out the shapes, and bake for 10-12 minutes. I would not recommend using very intricate shapes, as cookies will still slightly spread and puff in the oven. The surface of baked cookies will not be entirely flat, so if you wish to ice them, simple designs or drizzling will work best.
Soft Honey Cookies
Fluffy, cakey, with a pleasantly crunchy outer layer, and extremely soft inside. Softest honey cookies in the world, full of nostalgic festive flavor.
- Prep Time10 min
- Bake / Cook Time13 min
- Rest / Chill Time2 hr
- Total Time2 hr 23 min
- Yield15 cookies
Ingredients
- 120 g / 4,2 oz natural honey
- 80 g / 2,8 oz unsalted butter
- 40 g / 1,4 oz dark brown sugar (muscovado)
- 250 g / 8,8 oz wheat flour (all-purpose or plain)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 medium egg
- 4-5 tbsp granulated sugar (for rolling cookies in)
Directions
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices in a bowl. Mix everything well and set aside.
Combine honey, butter, and muscovado sugar in a saucepan. Heat on low heat, stirring, until you get an even mixture (sugar granules will not melt).
Lightly whisk an egg in a separate bowl. Pour the warm honey-butter mixture and the egg into the flour mixture.
Mix everything until the dough comes together and there’s no dry flour left. The dough will be very soft. Cover the bowl and move it to the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (without a fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Portion the chilled dough with a tablespoon, dividing it into 15 equal parts, and shape balls with your hands. Roll those balls in granulated sugar.
Put the dough balls on the baking sheet, leaving space around them. They will puff and spread while baking.
Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 13-14 minutes or until the cookies form cracks on the surface and get lightly golden. Check for doneness as you would check the cake – inserting a wooden toothpick: if it comes out clean, the cookies are done.
Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheet. Then move them onto a rack to cool completely.
notes
- You can keep the dough well covered in the fridge for up to three days. It will get stiff, so you’ll have to thaw it slightly at room temperature. It should be spoonable, but the dough balls should keep their shape well.
- If you underbake these cookies, they will collapse, the same as a cake would do. So, the best way to test their doneness is by inserting a toothpick.
- These cookies will stay soft for at least a week if kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Skaniai atrodo👏