Honey

Sassy Sugar Cookies

by:
April  2, 2010
4.5
4 Ratings
Sassy Sugar Cookies
  • Serves about 30 cookies
Author Notes

What makes these cookies sassy is a little cinnamon and just a hint of cayenne that tickles the tongue on the finish. They have layers of sweetness from three kinds of sugar and a little honey, which also lends to their chewy texture. These cookies are better when they're made slightly larger, but if you want to make them smaller, shorten the cooking time by a minute or two. —vvvanessa

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (6 ounces) light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (3 ounces-weight) honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8-1/4 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) turbinado sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add in the honey, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg to combine well. Stir in the flour.
  3. Put the turbinado sugar in a small bowl.
  4. Scoop the dough into two-tablespoon portions. Roll the dough in the turbinado sugar. Place cookies about 3 inches apart on the baking sheets, leaving a good amount of room for them to spread.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. They are easy to overcook, going from chewy to crispy in a minute, so keep a close eye and pull them as soon as the edges are just set and get some color on them; the middles will look slighly underdone.
  6. Allow cookies to rest for a few minutes on the sheets, then remove them to a rack to finish cooling.
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    susan
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    vvvanessa
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4 Reviews

susan
susan December 24, 2019
I like this recipe. It's easy and quick. I put 1/4 tsp. Cayenne, just right. Will use mor cinnamon next time. Can't taste the 1/2 tsp.
 
DavidS726
DavidS726 March 5, 2013
I am making these cookies for a Spanish project. What is the history of these delicious treats. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!?
 
annalea
annalea April 19, 2010
this recipe was very simple and easy to follow. the honey was a key ingredient in my opinion - it really sets these cookies apart. I used a local orange blossom honey so the relatively strong flavor of the honey really came through in the final result. I used a very small amount of cayenne and honestly couldn't taste it at all in the baked cookies. I also think that one could add more cinnamon than called for in the recipe. the dough was a little bit crumbly when first put together. this wasn't too much of an issue in the end, i just had to use a fair amount of pressure when rolling the balls in the sugar before baking.

overall, these cookies are delicious and i really, really like the honey.
 
vvvanessa
vvvanessa April 23, 2010
i appreciate all the thought you put in to the feedback. i'm glad you enjoyed the cookies! thank you for posting!