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.