Honey Sugar Cookies

I have had a jar of honey in my pantry for about three months now. I picked a couple of jars up at a little market along with some fresh herbs. I love honey and usually eat it on toast or a bagel along with some peanut butter or drizzled on top of my oatmeal. After three months I was itching to try something new with the last jar in my pantry. I came across this recipe (looks like a great blog, glad I found it) and decided to adapt it a bit because I wanted a cookie similar to drop sugar cookies with a mild honey flavor. I did this by excluding the chocolate, increasing the flour and rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking.  I am very happy with the  way these cookies turned out!!

The dough came together incredibly quick and easy. I warmed my honey for a few seconds in the microwave to make it easier to pour and measure (be sure to spray your measuring cup with PAM before measuring so the honey slides right out). I did allow it to cool a bit before adding to the mixing bowl though. Let me tell ya, this dough tastes phenomenal.

The cookies baked up nice and golden with a slighlty crisp exterior that gives way to a chewy interior. You can smell mild notes of honey which tempt your senses.   The flavor of the honey is noticeable yet not overpowering. It compliments the overal flavor and texture of the cookie nicely. If you want a chewy cookie, these are best eaten a bit warm as they do firm up a bit after cooling (but still remain chewy if stored in a sealed container because of the honey). Either way they are a great cookie for those looking for something a little different than your usual cookies when your sweet tooth calls.

Next time I will add toasted nuts to the dough, maybe pecans or almonds. I think they will compliment the flavors of the dough nicely and create a phenomenal cookie!  I also want to make them with some Honey Buttercream or Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting sandwiched between two of these cookies!

I rate this cookie an 8

Honey Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 300. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
In a mixing bowl combine flour, soda, and salt. 
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the honey and cream well.
Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just encorporated. Finish by hand if needed. Do not over mix the dough.

Chill dough for 10 minutes.

Drop dough by rounded spoonfulls into bowl of sugar and roll to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes until edged are golden and set. 
Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transfering to rack to cool completely.  

*I chilled the dough a bit before baking so the cookies did not spread too much. If you chill too long though the honey will harden and make the dough hard to scoop out.