Cinnamon Honey Cookies and Elder Berry Tea

There is a lovely young lady on the cooking channel who has caught my attention. Her name is Laura Calder and I really like her music, it is a bit quirky but jaunty at the same time. I like her way of speaking, her light hearted attitude and last but not least, her food! 

I LOVE these cookies. She called them Honey Fleur De Ly's but I don't have a Fleur De Ly cookie cutter so I can't very well pull that off!! I also adapted her recipe by adding a pinch of salt and using specifically my favorite Vietnamese Cinnamon. I must say this is a wonderful cookie. It is crisp but chewy with the lovely tastes of honey and cinnamon. It is unique and believe me I have made a lot of cookies. These might just be my new favorite. The recipe is easy with just a few ingredients which makes it an even more impressive find. Another thing I like is the use of honey and of Cinnamon for the nutritional properties of each. NOTE: After running all over town and not finding the a-fore named cookie cutter I got on the Internet, ordered, and received one in 2 days with regular shipping!!!! Hoary. This is indeed the Honey Fleur De Ly's as seen on French Cooking at Home with my adaptations.

Today having gotten the Christmas tree down and packed up and preparing a kettle of soup for supper the other thing I really like to do on a cold snowy winter day with the wind and snow howling is to brew some tea and enjoy a really great homemade cookie. I adore adding dried elder berries, Jasmine green tea, and black tea to my pot and adding freshly boiling water. After it steeps a few minutes it has a lovely scent as well as a luscious flavor. The elder berry has anti-viral properties and is a very good addition to a winter diet!! I use dried Kosher Bulgarian elder berries, about a tablespoon to a 6 cup tea pot and the same quantity of the green and black teas. I don't really like the flavor of green tea so my solution is to create a blend I enjoy. 

To make the cookies you will need:

3/4 C. plus 2 T. soft butter
3/4 C. plus 2 T. sugar
3 T. honey {local is best}
2 C. flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. Vietnamese cinnamon
pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter then add the honey. In another bowl sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the butter mixture combining until smooth. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. When you are ready to roll the cookies preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let the dough sit on the floured work surface about 10 minutes and roll them about 1/4 " thick and cut with floured cutter. Place on parchment and bake about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them sit in the pan 5-7 minutes before cooling on rack. They are very tender and will want to break if you don't let them sit a few minutes before removing them from the pan. Store in an airtight container. Yield 24 large cookies.