Hungarian Honey Cookies That Stay Soft and Cinnamon-Spiced – A Puszedli Christmas Classic

Instructions

1. Gently warm the honey in a small saucepan and add the butter. Stir until the butter melts completely in the warm honey, then take it off the heat and let it cool slightly.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3. In a stand mixer, beat the 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg (keep the 2 whites aside) with the granulated sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until pale and foamy.

4. Add the sour cream to the whipped eggs and mix briefly.

5. Pour in the slightly cooled honey-butter mixture and mix everything well.

6. On low speed, add the flour mixture in portions to make a soft, pliable dough.

7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and chill until the dough firms up. You can also put it in the freezer for 30 to 40 minutes.

8. Turn the chilled dough out onto a floured surface, cut off a portion, roll it into a thick sheet and cut it into small squares with a knife, or use cookie cutters.

9. Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced well apart, because they spread and puff up a lot in the oven.

10. If you like, brush some of the cookies with a little of the reserved egg white and press half a walnut into the center.

11. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) on conventional top-and-bottom heat for about 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden, so they do not dry out.

12. For the glaze, beat the 1 2/3 cups (200 g) sifted powdered sugar with the remaining egg whites and the juice of about 1/2 lemon. Dip the warm cookies into the glaze and let it set.