Sweet & Easy New Year Honey Cookies
Keeping up with Great British Bake Off Week 2 - Biscuit Week!
In honor of new beginnings in the fall, I wanted to make some fall-themed cookies. While some may think of pumpkin and spices as warming notes of fall, others think of the sweetness of apples and honey. See the last post if you want an apple recipe, because today we are making honey cookies!
Typically, whenever I want to make cookies, I have to check if I have enough margarine on hand. Compounding these concerns, some may not appreciate the ingredients in some margarines for allergen or other health concerns. Therefore, I was really intrigued when I saw a recipe raved about online as the “gold standard in honey cookies,” that used oil as the fat! Do you think it worked? You don’t have to guess, just read on!
Method
Recipe source:
Honey Cookies from Lil’ Miss Cakes
Dairy Modifications:
None needed for this recipe!
Procedures:
I followed the recipe steps, but made these notes and slight adjustments:
I used the paddle for my mixer at first to mix the wet ingredients. However, they never seemed to incorporate together. When I switched to the whisk, it worked beautifully.
I did follow the suggestion to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking, because it was a very wet dough (because it’s oil based!).
The recipe does not specify the size of cookie balls you should make, but it does note that the recipe yields 36. I used a 2 T scoop that made about 2 dozen cookies, so as you can see, my cookies were a lot larger and perhaps less cute. I baked them for 9 minutes expecting them to need more time, but they seemed perfect with this amount. Definitely let them cool at least 5 minutes because they were very delicate! Because the spread so much, I tried baking 6 to a sheet pan for the next batch.
Results
These cookies tasted a bit unusual to me, but deliciously sweet, with the perfect crispiness on the outside and softness on the inside.
The turbinado sugar coating on the outside of the cookies really enhances the cookie by providing a little extra texture, but also a little “bite” that complements the flavors as well.
My primary reviewer commented, “Mmm…” and “good,” albeit with a mouthful of cookie. And then proceeded to eat 2 more, so…
Conclusions
These cookies were delicious! I was surprised that this recipe worked surprisingly well for using oil and not giving the dough that long to hydrate. I really appreciated how simple this was to put together! Dairy-free margarine can be expensive or contain other allergens, so it was great to find a cookie recipe that did not require any and that actually worked!
If I were to try this again (and if I had the luxury of more time), I would try a smaller cookie scoop. I also saw a comment on the recipe to add orange zest and cinnamon, which sounds delicious!
The only limitations to this recipe were some clarifications I would have liked for precision, but overall this was a great experience.
As I relaunched this blog after the hiatus, I was full of pressure to find recipes that were more complicated and impressive. But this recipe taught me that starting anew doesn’t mean you have to prove anything; rather, it can be about embracing the opportunity to start fresh, to create, to appreciate the simple things, and to do things your own way. Whether you are celebrating a New Year, starting a new school year, or just feeling fresh fall energy, I hope you giving some dairy-free baking a try and share love, kindness, and a little sweetness.