Honey Queen Kisses

These cookies get all their sweetness from a full cup of honey creamed into butter, giving them a deep, floral sweetness that granulated sugar can’t match. The honey also keeps them chewy and moist days after baking, which is a nice bonus if you’re making a big batch.

The mix-in combination is what makes these unusual. Butterscotch chips, flaked coconut, and crisp rice cereal all fold into a standard butter-honey-egg dough. The butterscotch adds a caramel-like richness, the coconut brings tropical sweetness, and the rice cereal gives each cookie an unexpected crunch that holds up even as the chewy center stays soft.

Drop these by the teaspoonful and bake until golden. They spread a bit, so give them room on the sheet.

Kitchen Tips

• Cream the honey into the butter gradually, a small amount at a time. Adding it all at once can break the emulsion and make the batter greasy
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. This builds structure in a dough that has no granulated sugar to help with it
• Fold the cereal in gently at the very end. Aggressive mixing crushes the rice pieces and you lose that crunch
• Watch them closely in the oven. Honey browns faster than sugar, so these can go from golden to burnt quickly

Variations

• Swap butterscotch chips for chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
• Use toasted coconut instead of plain flaked for a nuttier, more intense coconut flavor
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a warm, spiced version