Thursday, July 16, 2009

Chewy Honey Cookies

When I saw this recipe for Honey Cookies in my Complete Cookie cookbook, I knew I would want to try it. Under the description, it was stated that these cookies are ideal for making ice cream sandwiches, and although that is not what I personally did, after tasting these, I agree that these would make for one super swell ice cream sandwich. I could see these pairing well with a creamy French Vanilla or strawberry ice cream: a fun treat for a BBQ or pool party.
What I did do, though, was to experiment with the honey flavor. After all, there are an exorbitant amount of flavored honeys that one can try. There is the most well-known clover variety, then there is blackberry, raspberry, lavender, huckleberry, alfalfa, dandelion, fireweed, and many more. Part of the fun in this recipe is that the honey is such a strong player, that whatever type you choose will give your cookies a hint of that particular flavor. And the best thing about flavored honey is that there are no additives to twist the honey one way or another; it's all dependent upon where the bees buzz, and where they are collecting pollen.
The one thing that I would do differently next time, though, would be to lessen the amount of brown sugar. As is, they are very sweet, and I would want the taste of the honey to shine through a bit more. Even still, they are a absolutely delightful.


Chewy Honey Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups garbanzo bean flour
1 ½ cups brown rice flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup honey
1 large egg yolk

Directions:
1. Whisk together the flours, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.
2. Cream the butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the honey and egg yolk and beat for 1 minute. Fold in the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, to combine. Form the dough into a long log, roll in wax paper, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment.
4. Cut the log in half and return half to the refrigerator until ready to use. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out into 3-inch circles and transfer to the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with all the dough.
5. Bake for 5 minutes then rotate the cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes more, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

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