Granny T's Honey Cookies

I make promises to myself all the time. Most promises involve helping other people. Quite often, one finished promise leads me into another.



That was the case as I put finishing touches on the Fairy Godmother flannel nightgowns for my nieces. I thought of childhood Christmas Eves when my Granny T would present her treadle-machine-sewn flannel nighties to my sisters and me. Besides her warm and cozy PJs, Granny T would often warm us up with her kitchen goodies.

More than a year ago, I finally mastered the recipe for her molasses cookies. (Click on yellow for that post.) I shared the soft, moist gingerbread cakes with my parents, sisters, cousins and aunt. After tasting the cookies, each one shared a special Granny T memory. A few even confessed to a physical release - chills up the spine, arm hair standing on end and tears of joy and remembrance.

Not everyone appreciated their taste. Two of own sons responded, "YUCK! You call that a cookie?" My youngest sister agreed with my sons. Still, she was intrigued that I'd mastered the recipe when others had tried but not quite achieved the magic. The same was true of her Granny T favorite. On my blog post she wrote, "I tried making her honey cookies and failed. Can you master those too?
The little one"

This cookie was not my favorite. I remembered it for its blandness. No cinnamon. No ginger. No satisfying goodness after a long day
of helping Granny T with yardwork.

But understanding my sister's desire to re-capture Granny T's love, I agreed, "Get me the recipe and I'll try."

She referred me to our nieces' mom who is the Keeper of Granny T's Recipes. That sister sent me the recipe. More than a year passed. Other promises jumped ahead. Then, this week while under the flannel-nightgown spell and thinking of Granny T, I was inspired to try the Honey Cookie recipe next.

I rose early to mix the liquid ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients into another. Before adding the dry ingredients into the liquid batter, I took time moving laundry out of the dryer for folding, putting a wet load in to dry and starting another load in the washer. By this time the batter was bubbling. After adding the dry ingredients, I kneaded the dough and set it aside to cool in the refrigerator.

As I continued my house work, my oldest son came home for a bite to eat before his college class. I told him I was experiementing with another of his great-grandma's recipes. I began to explain, "I think the whole trick to Grandma's cookies is to –" Isaac interrupted, " –To trick people into thinking they're edible when they look half edible but they’re really not. It’s really all just a trick."




(Yes, you guessed it! He's one of the sons who dislikes the molasses sort.)

Then I continued, "I was going to say: The trick is to not be in a hurry. It’s kitchen chemistry. You have to let the ingredients work together, bubble before adding the dry ingredients, and then let the dough rest again before baking."

He left for school. I returned to the kitchen. There I rolled small balls of dough, placed them on a baking sheet, dipped the bottom of a glass into sugar and used it to flatten the cookies to 1/4-inch thickness. As called for in the directions, I baked the first batch for 8 minutes. The next one I adjusted to 7 minutes. And the last one, I removed at 6 minutes to gain the best golden color and softness. I tried three at various cooling stages and decided what this cookie needs is a cup of coffee for dunking.

I packed up a dozen for "The Little One." A dozen for my aunt whose name was on the recipe. Then I put the rest into the bag for the Keeper of the Recipes.

The boys came home from school, smelled the baking aroma, saw the empty baking pans and asked, "Where are the cookies?"

"They're all packed up for delivery," I said.

"All of them?"

"Yes. Remember they're Granny T's recipe."

"Those awful molasses ones?"

"No, these are Honey Cookies."

When I conceded that I could spare one a piece from the Keeper's bag, they were game to taste test.

Aaron took a bite, chewed and said, "They're not the best. But they are good."

Isaac nibbled at his and remarked,  "Around the edges doesn't taste like anything." Then he took a bite and said, "Now I'm tasting the honey. They're decent. Much better than the molasses ones!"

Whatever... the only opinion that matters is that of the Little One. I sent her an email titled "Comin' Your Way" and attached the two cookie photos above. She responded: "HONEY COOKIES!?!!?!?! are they in a cake pan covered with a dish towel? Thank you, Kerry"

Now we wait to see, if we've found the kitchen magic in Granny T's Honey Cookies. And as for the next promise... I'd better cleanup my work corners after this week's fun.