Honey Orange Cookies-recipe

The Honey orange one is all the way in the lower right hand corner. These cookies are extremely easy to make and are really quite special. The trick is in how you bake them. These are my third favorite. They are addictively soft and slightly spicy.

The only thing you have to know is that there is a lot of baking powder in this recipe so they get big. I prefer them kind of flat and chewy. The way to do that is to make them smaller than the original recipe calls for and under cook them a bit. Or so it seems. they are actually quite cooked-but seem pale till they sit out. These cookies are very strange in that as they sit they get darker! so take them out when they are palish-starting to turn brown on the bottom.

Also, there is NO substitute for the orange extract. You need a very strong shot of orange without adding too much liquid. but I do add about a tablespoon of orange juice as well (that isn't in the recipe-but i think it adds to the flat chewiness that I prefer).

Cookie:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda and nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon (or more if you wish) grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 375

In a mixing bowl combine all cookie ingredients. beat at low speed, scraping sides of bowl often, until well mixed (about 2 min}.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. bake for 7 or 8 minutes (this is the amount of time I bake them-you may cook them up to 10 minutes)-until edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile in small bowl combine glazing ingredients. Use a butter knife to carefully smooth the icing over the top of each warm cookie.

Makes about 5 dozen