The war was on, and sugar was rationed. Aiming to do its patriotic bit,Gourmetprinted an article showing readers how to use honey in place of sugar. The author of the article considered the shortage of sugar a good thing, harrumphing that until the discovery of sugar refining in the middle of the eighteenth century, cooks were very happy to rely on honey. He expressed the hope that "with the present curtailment in our sugar supply, honey will regain much of its former glory." That desire is probably why these cookies are so good; delicate and barely sweet, they are almost biscuit-like and go well with cheese. They also improve immeasurably with age.
In a sign of the times, the recipe ran next to a cartoon of a woman emerging from a car in front of a fancy restaurant, peering at the 30-minute parking sign and saying to her husband, "Sometimes I think you park in these restricted areas so we won't have time to order the deluxe dinner."
Ingredients
Makes about 80 cookies
Cream together 1/2 cup each of honey, brown sugar, and shortening. Beat in 1 egg; then add 2 1/2 cups flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup nut meats. Shape the dough into a roll or loaf, or press it into refrigerator cookie molds. Allow the dough to ripen for a day or two in the refrigerator before you slice and bake it in a hot oven (400°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.
1. The shortening should be at room temperature before beating.
2. "Soda" is baking soda.
3. Use 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.
4. Instead of pressing the cookies into molds, roll the dough into 2-inch-diameter rectangular logs, then slice and bake.
Leave a Review
Reviews (11)
Back to TopI think I cooked them a little too long - according to the recipe rather than shorter. The raw cookie dough had a much nicer rugelach-like taste than the cooked cookies. Probably wouldn't make again, at least not baked for the same length of time.
dbirge
NYC
10/7/2013
I was trying to use up some ingredients and made these with chestnut honey plus a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Like other reviewers, I baked them slightly less than recommended (9 minutes.) They are a very subtle cookie, sort of between a rich tea biscuit, shortbread and an almond thin. Very tasty, but not strong on flavour.
searlen
Scotland
12/23/2012
My girlfriend and i made these, let them sit for two days, and omitted the nut meats. This is a good cookie, the kind of cookie light enough to have for breakfast.
chronoallusion
12/19/2012
Absolutely nothing wrong with these as cookies, but not special enough to justify the expense of the honey, which I can't taste. The almonds disappear, too--I would suggest toasting them lightly, first.
feralgreens
12/14/2012
can some1 help me please? Im trying to make this cookie using half of the recipe but the mixture came out too dry, they doesnt stick together, can some1 tell me y?
hotaru15
vietnam
4/3/2012
I notice the accompanying article says these cookies would go well with cheese. Anyone have a suggested cheese to serve with this? I suspect a roquefort type would be too strong and chevre too mild. An aged cheddar perhaps?
PuaM
Lahaina Maui
12/7/2011
Wonderful and delicately fragrant cookies. Made 60 cookies. I baked at 350 for 9 minutes, as opposed to 10-12 minutes as recipe instructs.
jtgreenberg
2/28/2011
Very good cookies- they were a hit at a party! Although these DID NOT make 80 (more like 20), they were easy to put together and tasty. I substituted 1 T. cornstarch instead of egg to accomodate a dairy+egg free guest, and she loved them.
creen2
2/17/2011
They were bland. Absolutely nothing special about this cookie at all. I won't ever make them again.
Anonymous
san diego, ca
2/1/2011
These are great, not too sweet and make your house smell SO GOOD. I also baked them for less time.
WhiskeyDaisy
Pittsburgh, PA
12/22/2010
In my experience baking these cookies, the oven was too hot and I overcooked them. I preferred these cookies baked at 350 for 9 min and removing from pan promptly. I followed the recipe exactly and stored the dough in the fridge for a day and a half. Honey flavor sure comes through. They will be good with my tea!
JGEM
WA
12/15/2010
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