Honey Spice Cookies Food

PRYANIKI - RUSSIAN HONEY SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, dissolve the instant coffee in the water.
• Add the butter, sugar and honey to the dissolved coffee in the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat and cook, stirring, just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves and the mixture is homogenous. Take off the heat, pour it into a large bowl. and cool for about 10-15 minutes.
• Add all the spices - vanilla, allspice, nutmeg and anise. You can also add cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, mint extract, etc.
• Whisk in the eggs, the baking soda dissolved in vinegar and baking powder. You will notice that the mixture will fizz a little when it's all mixed up.
• Add the flour and mix with a large wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.
• Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Shape the cookie dough into approximately 1 Tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some room around each cookie, since they will expand while baking. I use a 1 Tablespoon measuring scoop to get the cookie dough out of the bowl and then roll it around in my hands. This will make sure that all the cookies are the same size and will bake evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake, or the cookies will be too hard.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the milk to make a glaze. You can flavor the glaze by adding some kind of extract to it, like vanilla, mint, almond, etc.
• Dip the cooled cookies into the glaze, letting the excess run off. Set the glazed cookies on a rack or parchment paper to dry. When the glaze is dry, you can flip the cookies over and glaze the other side as well. When glazing the cookies, work fast, since the glaze will be harder to work with when it starts to dry up. You can add a tiny splash more of milk to thin it out if it hardens.
• Store the cookies at room temperature in a sealed container.

HONEY & SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Rub the butter into the flour in a large bowl until you have fine crumbs. Stir in the beaten egg, our festive spice, golden caster sugar, honey and cream of tartar. Stir unil a soft dough forms, then wrap in cling film and chill for 20-30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the dough, cut into festive shapes and bake for 10-12 mins on lined baking trays. Dip in melted dark chocolate, if you like.

MELOMAKARONA RECIPE (GREEK CHRISTMAS HONEY COOKIES)

Steps:

• To prepare this melomakarona recipe start by making the syrup first. In a pot add all the ingredients for the syrup, besides the honey and bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the stove. Stir in the honey and set aside to cool completely.
• Prepare the dough for the melomakarona. In a bowl add the semolina, flour and baking powder and mix with a whisk to combine.
• In another large bowl add the orange juice, the cognac, the sugar and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla) and mix. Add the baking soda and whisk immediately for 5-10 seconds until the ingredients combine and the baking soda dissolves and starts to foam. Pour in the bowl the water, the oil, the orange zest and honey and whisk to combine.
• Now it's time to combine the two mixtures. Add the mixed flour, semolina and baking powder (from step 2) in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients from step 3 and start kneading the dough for the melomakarona. Knead the dough for the melomakarona using your hands, until the ingredients combine and the dough is smooth and soft and slightly sticky. Be careful not to overwork the dough as they will become tough.
• . Layer the bottom of 4 large baking trays with parchment paper and start shaping the melomakarona. Pinch a portion of dough about the size of a walnut - 30g / 1oz and shape with your palms into a smooth oblong shape, like a small egg. Place on the baking tray, push lightly the top with a fork and pierce three times on top about half way through the dough. Continue with the rest of the dough.
• Depending on how large on oven you have when your first two trays are ready you can start baking them. Place the baking trays with the melomakarona in the oven and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes, until the melomakarona are lightly and evenly browned and cooked through. If you've made them bigger, you'll need to bump up the cooking time!!
• When the melomakarona come out of the oven, dip them immediately in the cold syrup, flipping them with a slotted spoon to absorb the syrup for approx. 10-20 seconds, depending on how syrupy you like them. Remove the cookies using a slotted spoon, place on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
• While you are dipping your first couple of tray in the syrup add the next two in the oven to bake. Don't forget to set your timer!!
• Store the melomakarona at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for all your Christmas Holidays!

OLD GERMAN HONEY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a saucepan over low heat, melt together sugar, shortening and honey. Let cool.
• Mix together eggs, vanilla, baking soda and ginger. Gradually add to cooled honey mixture.
• Slowly add 4 cups of flour to mixture. Stir until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until golden (about 12-15 minutes).

RUSSIAN SPICE COOKIES (PRYANIKI)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves (be careful with the cloves-too much can produce a bitter taste), optional nutmeg, optional allspice, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, beat together 2 egg yolks , 1 whole egg, melted butter, and honey or agave syrup. If using agave, bake 25 degrees lower because products brown faster. In this case, bake at 325 F instead of 350 F when using honey.
• Mix in the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 F. Place parchment paper the size of your cookie sheets on a clean surface. Using a cookie scoop, portion out mounds of dough and roll them in your hands until they are a completely smooth ball. Place on the prepared cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between each cookie. They will flatten out somewhat but still retain a domed shape.
• Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until just golden, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking. Cool on the sheets until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer to racks to finish cooling.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and enough water (1 to 2 tablespoons) to form a thin icing.
• Spread on cooled cookies with a pastry brush.
• Allow icing to harden before storing cookies in an airtight container.

HONEY SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat honey and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves; gradually add to honey mixture and mix well. , Shape dough into five 10-in. rolls; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hour or until firm., Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; lightly brush over cookies. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

HONEY SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cream together Brown Sugar and Butter.
• Slowly add the Honey, then the egg and mix well.
• Sift dry ingredients together and add to the creamed mixture.
• Make sure the batter is mixed well then form balls and dip in white sugar and place on greased cookie sheet sugar side up.
• Bake for 7 minutes (cooking time may vary).
• Let cool or eat warm.

HONEY & SPICE CRINKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together the brown sugar and shortening.
• Beat in the eggs and honey.
• Combine dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.
• Chill dough in refrigerator for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls and roll in white sugar. (Keep dough chilled between batches so it doesn't get too soft).
• Place 2-inches apart on a slightly greased (or parchment paper covered) baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.
• Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool on pan for about 5 minutes then remove to cool completely. (I use parchment and just slide the parchment off the baking sheet onto the counter to cool).

HONEY-SPICE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl. Beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then honey and molasses. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture until well combined. Divide dough into thirds, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working with a third of dough at a time, roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness on generously floured parchment. Brush off excess flour, transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters, rerolling scraps as needed. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until edges turn golden, about 15 minutes, rotating once and firmly rapping baking sheet halfway through baking to flatten any bubbles in cookies. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks.
• Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (Ateco #0, 1, or 2). Pipe outlines and details on cookies. Immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, and tap off excess. Let set completely, uncovered, at room temperature, at least 4 hours or (ideally) overnight.

MEDENJACI (CROATIAN HONEY SPICE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Stir butter, sugar, and honey together in a large saucepan over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Mix all-purpose flour, cake flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger together in a bowl.
• Beat flour mixture and eggs into cooled butter mixture until a smooth, soft dough forms. Cover the saucepan with aluminum foil and set in a cool place to ferment, 1 to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Divide dough into long ropes about 2/3-inch in diameter. Cut ropes into 1 1/2-inch sections. Roll each piece of dough into a walnut-size ball. Place balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Press a walnut piece halfway into the top of each cookie.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until slightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.