Nut and Spice Cookie Recipes - Honey Filled Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/4
cups/330 g allpurpose/plain
flour
2/3 cup/100 g
confectioners'/icing sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup/250 g
butter, softened
1 tbsp warm
water + more as needed
SPICE HONEY:
2 cups/400 g
firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 stick
cinnamon
2 cloves
zest of 1
orange, in one piece
1 cup/250 ml
water
1/4 tsp white
vinegar
Method:
Sift the
flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a
large bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in the
butter until the mixture resembles coarse
crumbs.
Add the water
to form a stiff dough. Press the dough into a
disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas
5.
Line two
cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the
dough on a lightly floured surface to a
thickness of 1/8 inch (3 mm).
Use a 2
1/2-inch (6-cm) cookie cutter to cut out the
cookies. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll, and
continue cutting out cookies until all the dough
is used.
Use a spatula
to transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie
sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake
for 10-12 minutes, or until just golden.
Transfer to racks and let cool completely.
Spice Honey:
Place the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, orange
zest, and water in a medium saucepan.
Wash down the
sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in
cold water to prevent sugar crystals from
forming. Cook, without stirring, until the
mixture reaches 238°F (114°C), or the soft-ball
stage.
Stir in the
vinegar, discard the cloves, cinnamon stick, and
orange zest, and remove from the heat. Let cool
completely. Stick the cookies together in pairs
with the spice honey.