Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) is coming, and it’s traditional to have honey to symbolize our hopes for a sweet new year. In past years, I have made various honey cakes- for tradition’s sake. The problem? My family isn’t big on honey cake. So this year, I went a different route. Instead of the traditional heavy honey cake or cookies, I made a delicious and more modern style of honey cake. It’s light and modern, yet still has that honey taste: i.e. it’s the best of both worlds.
I’ve been planning to make these cookies ever since I got this cookbook- almost a year ago. The dough is one of the most interesting I’ve ever worked with, so I have to admit I was skeptical from the moment I read the ingredients until the moment I was warding off my siblings, explaining that they can’t have third and fourth cookies. They are for Rosh Hashanah!
Not jewish? That’s ok, you can hope for a sweet year too. Try these delicious cookies- I’m sure you’ll love them!
Honey Cookies
(Adapted from Kosher By Design: Teens and 20 Somethings)
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
turbinado (raw) sugar, for rolling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease or line cookie sheets.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg and sugar until light and creamy. Add oil and beat until fully incorporated. Add honey and vanilla and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture.
Scoop out a tablespoon of dough, then roll in the turbinado sugar. Place on cookie sheet. (Dough will be soft and slightly difficult to work into perfect circles- that’s ok!). Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a minute or two before removing to wire racks to cool fully.
Enjoy!
Cinnamon and ginger…mmm, these cookies would be perfect for coffee dipping. Wishing you a sweet new year.
Hi Judy,
Thank you! If you like the ginger flavor, you can increase it to 1/4 or even 1/2 a teaspoon. The original recipe called for more, but I decreased it to make sure you really taste the honey. Enjoy!
-Miriam
A honey cookie is a divine idea. I have some fresh honey I just bought from a farmers market. This recipe has been saved-thanks for posting it.
Hi Tina,
Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you like this recipe- please let me know if you make it how it comes out!
-Miriam
These look really good. I’ve been on the lookout to add cookies that don’t involve chocolate and/or peanut butter (as most do) on my to-bake list. These look like a great possibility!
Hi Erin,
I’m so glad you like this recipe- it’s definitely a novel cookie flavor!
Chocolate and peanut butter are AWESOME but I’m also always lookin for different flavors, both for a change and for people in my life who (horrifyingly!) don’t like chocolate and peanut butter. I’ve got some more great cookies coming- stay tuned!
-Miriam
Thanks! I tried this recipe- best honey cookies I ever had!!
Thanks Sarah! I’m glad you liked them.
Thanks Miriam for visiting my site today and happy new year to you! Your cookies look wonderful. I love ginger and honey together so these are right up my alley. I agree with Erin – it’s nice sometimes to have a cookie that doesn’t involve add-ins…just some good old sweet and spice:-)
These look wonderful! What a great cookie recipe!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you like these.
Going a different direction with honey cake and making these cookies was a great idea. So nice when you create something and everyone just can’t get enough of it. These cookies look like you want at least three in your hand at once.
Thanks Paula! They are pretty amazing.
ooh thanks for posting!! i wanted to bake honey cookies for my coworkers and was looking for a recipe. these look perfect!
Hey, Adele- are you who I think you are?
Glad you like the recipe- please let me know what you think!
I baked these yesterday. I’m not a big fan of honey cookies, but these are perfect. They’re not too heavy on the honey taste, and they’re delicious. I hope they freeze well, cuz that’s the only way I might have some left for Rosh Hashana. Half of them were gone before it got to the freezer!
So glad you like them! And thanks so much for the feedback- feels great to know people try my recipes!
I sure hope they freeze, because most of mine are in the freezer right now.
[...] recent comment on Twitter by my friend pointed out that the last three cookie recipes I posted involved rolling the balls in something before baking. “Too [...]
So good! Thanks for the recipe. I already made this recipe twice! (one batch was not enough). Brought some in for my coworkers and I’ll be sending some with my husband for his. We never liked traditional honey cookies but I wanted to make some sort of honey cookie this year. These were perfect. I will definitely be making these again.
And they froze really well!
Thanks so much for the feedback Adina! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
-Miriam
how many does it make? i was gonna get this cookbook but i didnt get it yet. im looking for a lite cookie for rosh hashana and i figured thus would be good. it has amazing reviews!! no one in my house likes honey cake but whats rosh hashana without it? thanks so much for posting!!
have a sweet new yr!
Hi Chaya Sara,
Thanks for stopping by! I always forget to include yield information- I must work on that. I got about 3 dozen cookies, but it will depend on the size I guess.
Please let me know what you think!
-Miriam
Hi- I don’t usually comment on websites but having made these cookies I had to let you know my family’s response. First of all we all hate honey cake. My mother insists on sending us a piece every year because what would Yom Tov be without honey cake? I usually cut off a tiny piece for Rosh HaShannah and freeze the rest for Succot when my father-in-law joins us and he loves the cake. I saw your recipe and figured I had nothing to lose. The flavor was really good, and the texture was great, not too crispy or too moist. The only change I might make is putting the dough in the fridge for a bit to firm it up as the cookies became flatter than I would like, but that didn’t detract from the taste or texture. The piece de resistance came when my kids ate them, and finished the amount I had put out for that day’s dessert. My mother tasted them and teared up as she said they reminded her of the honey cookies her Bubby had made for her and her siblings more than 70 years ago. So, a big Yaasher Cochachach and thanks for the recipe. Have a Gemar Tov and an easy fast. I’m glad I found your website.
[...] (Not your Bubby’s) Honey Cookies [...]
Are these soft or chewey?
I would say that they’re more on the chewy side.
I love honey cake and decided to also add cookies this year. The dough was nice to work with but I found the cookie way too sweet And without the distinct honey taste I was hoping for.