Honey Butter Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 7 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 7 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• milk, as needed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• milk, as needed
• yellow food coloring paste
• 1/4 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Recipe

• 1 to prepare cookies:.
• 2 beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds -- add sugar, baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt.
• 3 beat until combined.
• 4 beat in honey, egg and if desired, lemon extract until combined.
• 5 add flour by beating in or stirring in -- until combined.
• 6 chill 1 hour or until it is easy enough to handle.
• 7 preheat oven to 375*.
• 8 lightly grease a cookie sheet, set aside.
• 9 on a lightly floured surface, roll dough until it is 1/4" thick.
• 10 using 2 1/2" cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes.
• 11 place cutouts 1" apart on prepared cookie sheet.
• 12 bake in a preheated 375* oven for 7-8 minutes or until cookies are golden and edges are set.
• 13 transfer to a wire rack and cool.
• 14 frost with honey butter frosting and if desired, top with honey bees.
• 15 yield about 30 cookies.
• 16 to prepare honey butter frosting:.
• 17 in a medium saucepan, combine 3 tbls butter and 3 tbls honey.bring to boiling, remove from heat and stir in 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tsps lemon juice.cool to room temperature.
• 18 if necessary, add milk, one tsp at a time until frosting is of desired spreading consistency.
• 19 to prepare honey bees.
• 20 prepare another honey butter frosting -- then divide in half.
• 21 tint one half with yellow food coloring.mix well.
• 22 combine remaining frosting with 1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate chips.stir in additional milk, one 1 tsp at a time until both frostings are of piping consistency.
• 23 pipe alternate bands of yellow and brown frosting on top of each cookie.
• 24 pipe antennae with brown frosting.
• 25 add slices almonds for wings.
• 26 to store:.
• 27 place cookies in layers seperated by waxed aper in an airtight container, cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze unfrosted cookies up to 1 month.
• 28 thaw cookies, then frost.