Still thinking honey. This time, more or less, a sweet little treat to greet people when they come to my house for the Break-the-fast on Saturday night. I’ve noticed over the years that when people haven’t eaten for a long time they can’t just go at it and shovel in food. They need to nibble first.
For a few years I served homemade hummus as a starter food. But somehow so many people went right over to the dessert trays and took a cookie or two that now I keep the hummus for the main meal buffet and have a plate of sweet cookies available before we actually have dinner.
My friend Susan always brought cookies, but as I mentioned, she isn’t coming this year. So, I’ll serve crescent cookies and plum torte. My friend Barbara’s daughter-in-law Karen will bring chocolate chip cookies and my daughter Gillian will bake an apple cake.
But because I also still have honey on my mind, in hopes for a sweet new year, I will also bake honey cookies today.
Honey Cookies
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, cooled
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg white
crystal sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the melted butter, honey, sugar, baking soda, egg yolk, orange peel, vanilla extract and salt. Beat at medium speed for about one minute or until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Add the flour and blend it in to make a soft dough. Pinch off heaping teaspoons of dough and roll them on a floured surface to make balls about 1-inch in diameter. Beat the egg white until it is thick and foamy. Dip the balls into the egg white to coat the entire surface. Press the balls on one side in some crystal sugar (or sprinkle the crystal sugar on top). Place the balls (sugared side up) on the cookie sheet, leaving some space (about an inch) between them. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, then place on a cookie rack to cool completely. Makes about 36