Mindy Carlson

Every so often (usually on days ending in Y) I look for new things to bake.  I have about 3 or 4 old cookbooks that belonged to my mom and Grandma Genvieve that I especially like to flip through.  One of my favorite is the 1978 edition of the Floyd County CowBelles Cookbook, CowBelles are Cookin’.

It has my go-to recipes for banana bread, pumpkin bread, and meatloaf.  Today I was searching for a new cookie recipe. Something not quite chocolate chip and more exciting than sugar cookies. I didn’t have any cream of tartar so I couldn’t make snickerdoodles, but as my eye cruised past names in the cookbook like Black Walnut, English Toffee, Lace, and Confetti I was suddenly drawn to Honey Drops.

Honey Drops.  It’s a name that sounds like Spring and is filled with the promise of a remedy for February.

I could use a little Spring.

Honey Drops

• 1 cup butter or vegetable shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 6 T honey
• 1 tsp of vanilla (or half of one pod)
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• 3 & 1/2 cups flour
• pinch of salt

The instructions in the recipe as printed are a scant 3 sentences. “Mix well and chill. Shape into balls; flatten slightly. Bake at 350F.”  I think I will expand upon that.

In a medium sized bowl cream together the butter/shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and beat until a bit fluffy. Add in the honey and vanilla and mix well.  Then mix in the baking soda, flour, and pinch of salt until well incorporated.  The dough will be a pale beige color.

Chill for about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F or 170C (150C if you have a fan oven)

Lay a parchment paper or a Silpat pad onto a baking sheet. Roll the dough into balls a little smaller than a ping-pong ball and flatten slightly into plump disks.  Place them about 2 inches apart. They won’t spread very much, but they do seem to double in size.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a golden honey color.

Even as the first batch baked I could feel February drifting away. My house smells like sunshine and honey.

Honey Drops have a bit of crunch on the outside and they are soft and pillowy on the inside. They are not overly sweet. Surprising given how much sugar they contain. The honey flavor is subtle, but there and the vanilla gives the honey flavor a bit of lift.  They are the perfect antidote for February.

Enjoy!