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. 🙂
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.
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.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I’m already planning for Rosh Hashanah this year and wanted to know, based on your experience, how long can I freeze the dough for? What would you recommend for thawing time? I would like to make a share a number of desserts but there is only so much time…
Excellent cookies.
I made these today and they were so good that unfortunately they didnt even make it to the freezer for Rosh Hashana! Thank you for the recipe- cant wait to make it again.
I made these today for Rosh Hashanah! So delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Make these cookies today…. They are Absolutley amazing !!! My questions are: 1. How many days will do keep in fridge if I make it ahead. And 2. Can this dough be frozen??
Thanks!
Caryn
I mean keep the dough in the fridge!:-)
The cookies themselves freeze beautifully- my second batch is still in the freezer almost 3 months later and I take out cookies as needed. Regarding the dough in the freezer I cant say as I did ‘nt try but i don’t see a reason it couldnt be frozen. I left the dough in the fridge overnight but again can’t see a reason why it couldn’t be refrigerated for a couple of days. It’s a great recipe – soft and chewy and not too sweet. I love honey and use it to flavor tea as well as hot lemon and honey. However, I hate honey cake. This recipe was a great way to have a honey dessert for Rosh Hashanah and Succot but they have a spicy element that make it something you can enjoy beyond the Yomim Tovim.
I was looking for something different for an oneg the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah and came across your Sept. 15, 2011 post on honey cookies. I most certainly will try these. However, in your post you mentioned that you have found a recipe for “more modern style” of honey cake ( my family also is not a big fan of traditional honey cake). Would you be kind enough to share your new honey cake recipe.
Thanks ahead of time,.
Elaine Wolfe
erwolfe@aol.com
Hi! Just wanted to tell you I made these today for RH and they are amazing! Thanks for the great recipe! This one is a keeper 🙂
These sound delicious! Any idea if they can be lightened up by subbing half of the oil for apple sauce? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure…
Any idea how long they’ll keep for out on the counter (by this I mean how long they’ll be good for – I know they may not last that long!) It’s just I’ve long run out of freezer space…! Thanks!
Definitely a couple of days!
If you pack the cookies well in a tin or a plastice container and keep them airtight they will last without getting hard for at least 3 or 4 days.
I really want to make these but I have no access to turbo ado sugar. Is there any substitute? Can I leave it out?
You can use regular sugar or sanding sugar.
My husband’s family LOVED these for Rosh Hashanah! I added about three generous pinches of ginger, and even my niece and nephew gobbled them up!
Made these tonight. They are terrific! With s cookie scoop they baked into a perfectly round and flat cookie. Cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup and they are still really sweet. Would even cut it down a little more next time… Thanks, miriam for another “keeper”!
Hi,
I’d love to try this recipe in time for Rosh Hashana but can not
find turbinado (raw) sugar where I live.
Is there a substitute?
Thanks so much,
Rachel
Question: is that two 3/4 cups of flour OR 2 cups of flour plus 3/4 cup?
I’m planning to make these this week. Just wondering about how many cookies the recipe yields? TIA!
About 50 medium/small cookies
One recipe makes about 20-25. By the way it gets pretty gooey so I put the batter in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Makes the dough Easier to work with and the cookies arent a flat mess but higher and puffier
I did not chill the dough and cookies came out perfect. I did use a cookie s coop and then rolled them into balls
These cookies are delicious! The dough is easy to work with and the cookies have an awesome texture! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes! They all come out great! 🙂 Shana tova!
Hi Miriam,
How many does this recipe make?
Read earlier comments…
These cookies are great! Of course I made a double recipe because who doesn’t double cookie recipes? Thanks so much.
Here I am making these cookies for another Rosh hashana. Thanks for giving me another classic!!!
Can I skip the turbinado sugar or use something else?
It really adds a fantastic texture, so I wouldn’t skip it.
Has anyone ever made these into bars?
These are my favorite and I find myself making them all year not just Rosh Hashana! I find they have a similar texture to the store bought ones but so much more flavor with the cinnamon and ginger. My only issue is I never have turbinado sugar around. Any substitutes? Demarara sugar? Pure cane sugar?