Honey Cakes / Turtă Dulce / Mézes Pogácsa

Directions

. Pre-heat oven to medium-high. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

2. Separate 1 egg – reserve yolk in a small bowl or cup. Discard the white.

3. Pour the yolk into the well in the dry ingredients, crack the second egg into the well. Add the honey and butter to the well also.

4. Put baking soda on the edge of the well. Activate the baking soda with a dash of lemon juice (you will see it begin to fizz).

5. Begin to mix the ingredients with your hands – start by smooshing the butter into the other ingredients in the well. From the well, gradually work in the flour. Keep mixing until a sticky dough is formed. If the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour. If it gets too dry you can add up to ¼ c mineral water. The dough should be drier than cookie dough, but stickier than bread dough.

6. When the dough is ready, divide it in quarters and put one quarter on a floured board. Gently roll out the first piece of dough (flip it at least once and add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking). Roll to ½ centimeter or a bit thicker.

7. Cut the dough with cookie cutters or a glass (with a floured rim).

8. Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet that has been covered with waxed paper. Bake about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Turn the pan to keep them from burning, reduce heat if bottom is cooking too quickly.

9. Remove cookies from oven and let cool before storing. Repeat process until all cookies are done.

Notes:
Waxed paper can be reused for the whole batch – if cookies stick, use more flour when rolling them out. These cookies are quite popular – especially in Transylvania. They are often decorated with a sugar glaze, chocolate or colored icing. At festivals you may find very fancy versions of these cookies. One popular form is a beautifully iced heart with a mirror in the center. It is meant to be a gift for a loved one. Beware, these highly ornate cookies are generally for decoration, not for eating.