Honey Cookies

Frances Leibensperger gave this recipe to the Kutztown Area Historical Society in the early 2000s.  She got it from Milton Kuhns on 14 May 1950.  At the time, Milt claimed the recipe was 150 years old, which would make it 225 years old in 2025.

The cookies are soft and cake-like and are not too sweet.  They’re perfect for dunking.

The batter is very stiff.  Frances always mixed it by hand, which may explain why she lived to be over 100 years old.  If you use a mixer, make sure it is powerful enough to handle a thick, stiff batter.

 The recipe as it is written:

1 quart honey extracted

1 pound brown sugar

¼ pound butter

½ pound lard or 1 cup Wessen (vegetable) oil

¾ pint boiling water

3 eggs, well beaten

2 ounces baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

5 pounds flour

Put sugar in a large dish, bring honey, butter, lard or wessen oil, and half of water to a boil, pour over sugar and mix well, dissolve soda in rest of hot water add to honey and stir briskly until it seems all foam sift tarter with flour and mix well till you have half of flour mixed. Add eggs then remaining flour and mix thoroughly.  Set in evening put in a cold place bake the next morning at 375 degrees.

 (NOTES:  Wessen oil is Wesson oil, a brand name vegetable oil. Frances always baked at 350 degrees.  She also added a pinch of salt.  The recipe doesn’t say how long to bake.  Frances baked for 8 minutes, then “watched” them to make sure they didn’t burn.  You don’t want the cookies to brown.)