To a Sweet New Year!

I always look forward to family gatherings.  One because I enjoy spending time with everyone, and two because it gives me an excuse to create something fun! Not that I really need one.... I love to cook and create!

This particular family get together was to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  To usher in a "sweet" new year you typically eat a sweet tasting meal.  Some of the more popular items include pomegranates, honey cake, and apples dipped in honey.  I have never been a big fan of honey cake, but I wanted to make something symbolic.  Then it dawned on me, I can make honey cookies! And for a touch of fun I used my cookie cutter to shape them like apples!  I even used red, yellow, and green food coloring for an authentic apple coloring.  Look at that, honey cake and apples dipped in honey all in one!

I modified my sugar cookie recipe to incorporate the honey.  (I must say, after the reviews I received, I might just use this recipe for all my sugar cookies!)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk 
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 
• red, green, and yellow food coloring
• apple cookie cutter

 

 Directions:  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, white sugar, honey, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and egg yolk until mixed completely
• In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, corn starch, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time.  Mix until dough is thoroughly combined.
• Separate dough into three small bowls and add food coloring.  Wrap each batch in plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for at least an hour.

• Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick.  
• Use an apple shaped cookie cutter and transfer shapes to cookie sheet. Let set in the fridge for about 10 minutes.  This insures the shapes integrity.
• Bake for 10-11 min until edges are slightly brown.  Allow to cool completely before enjoying!

These cookies are not only great to ring in the New Year but they are also a fun and tasty fall treat!