Honey Cornbread Cookies

First off grab a medium sized mixing bowl and add in all your dry ingredients. Give it a good whisk until all incorporated.

Next, get your rolling sugar ready. I put mine on a small saucer plate or you can use shallow bowl. Pour the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar for rolling into a separate, shallow bowl. Having this ready saves a step later when your hands are covered in dough.

Then get your large mixing bowl out and add the cold, cubed salted butter, the white sugar, and the honey. This is the creaming stage, and it’s important. Using your electric mixer on medium speed, beat this mixture for about 3-4 minutes. You’re looking for it to become light and fluffy, almost pale in color. The butter and sugar should be thoroughly combined, trapping air, which will contribute to the cookie’s final texture. This is where I start to notice that beautiful, sweet aroma filling the kitchen!

Once that’s beautifully creamed, it’s time to add our liquid gold: the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Mix these into the creamed mixture on medium speed until they are fully combined. Don’t forget to pause and scrape down the sides of the bowl with your rubber spatula as needed. This ensures everything gets mixed in properly and you don’t end up with unmixed pockets.

Finally, it’s time to bring in our dry ingredients. Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Switch your mixer to low speed for this part. Mix just until a cohesive dough forms. The key here is to not overmix. Overmixing can develop too much gluten in the bread flour, leading to tougher cookies. As soon as you see no more dry streaks and the dough comes together, stop mixing. It might look a little shaggy at first, but it will come together beautifully.

Take your freshly mixed dough and divide it into 10 equal portions. I usually eyeball it, but if you want precision, a kitchen scale works wonders here. Roll each portion into a nice, smooth ball.

Then, take each dough ball and roll it generously in the reserved sugar until it’s evenly coated. This sugar coating isn’t just for looks; it adds a fantastic crunch and helps create those gorgeous crinkly tops.

Once coated, place these sugar-dusted dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Now for the wait: these need to be placed in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours. I’ve even left them overnight, and they bake up beautifully. The reason for this long freeze is twofold: it prevents the cookies from spreading too much too quickly in the oven, ensuring they maintain a lovely thickness, and it contributes to that wonderfully crisp exterior and tender interior. Seriously, don’t skip or shorten this step!

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Make sure it’s fully preheated before putting the cookies in.

Once your oven is ready, arrange about 5 frozen dough balls on each parchment-lined baking sheet. They need room to spread, so ensure they are spaced approximately 2 inches apart. Crowding the pan can lead to uneven baking.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them; you’re looking for the edges to be set and lightly golden. The centers might still look a tiny bit soft, and that’s perfectly fine—they’ll continue to set as they cool. My oven tends to run a little hot, so I usually aim for the 12-minute mark. You’ll know they’re ready when your kitchen smells absolutely incredible!

When they come out of the oven, they’ll be delicate. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes. This resting period lets them firm up enough so you can carefully transfer them without breakage. After this, gently move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is a virtue, as my momma would say, especially when waiting for a warm cookie! Enjoy!