One of our favorite countries to visit is Portugal! The people, the food, the wine, well just about everything! Yes the home of Pasteis de Nata (which you will find a recipe for on this site) is also the home of the Broas de Mel or Honey Cookies. This was a find of my wife’s. Like me she also likes cookies from around the world. We are a good pair really, I like to bake them, she likes to eat them! This is a 2024 Christmas Treat – Broas de Mel, Portuguese Honey Cookie.

This is a not a sweet cookie which really when you look back at what I’ve made for you so far, sugar was a main ingredient. Not so with this cookie so I might even stretch so far as to say it is on the healthier-ish side! It also has olive oil instead of butter. I was hesitant to make it as a Christmas Treat because of just those things, but then she reminded me of the many spicy cookies (Christmas Treats) on my blog including most recently Gochujang Cookies and Spicy Prosciutto Cheeselets.

There are several other reasons for making it – mostly the taste! Sweetened with honey and only ½ cup of brown sugar (for 4 cups of flour), it made for a nice light bite. I like them best cooled as opposed to warm from the oven. It tastes like a nice healthy cookie, a nutty kind of taste, almost as if I’d used whole wheat instead of all-purpose flour. I liked it and there are not a lot of baked goods that I like made with whole wheat. Not to say there aren’t any, it’s just my taste buds are accustomed to the taste of all-purpose flour. Bonus reward – no mixer required!  

I used honey we brought back from Greece in the fall, but any good tasting honey would have worked. Not sure I would have used Manuka honey, I think that is best left to savor as you would a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Finally, I used a ½ tablespoon measuring scoop to get the perfect size for my sweet table. So do give these a try, I think you will like them! As always – enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tbsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup honey
¾ cup olive oil
2 eggs
Optional – Cinnamon sugar for coating – I mixed 1 tsp cinnamon with 4 tbsp white sugar

Directions:
1.  Heat the oven to 350f and line one or two cookie sheets with parchment – set aside
2.  In a medium size bowl, use a hand whisk to mix and aerate the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt
3.  In a small saucepan or in the microwave, heat the honey and oil until the honey is dissolved – but don’t boil it
4.  In a small medium bowl, beat the two eggs and add to the slightly warm honey/oil mixture
5.  Add this to the flour bowl and mix using a spatula until it comes together with no traces of flour visible to the eye
6.  Use whatever size scoop you want, I used a half tablespoon measuring spoon – the oil in the dough made sure it slid out easily with just a gentle nudge from a teaspoon on the edge of the rim
7.  Dip the top of the cookie in the cinnamon sugar, place on the tray, about 1” apart
8.  Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, rotating the trays at the halfway mark – they should be golden brown, a bit darker than shortbread
9.  Let them cool completely before storing (or trying)

Notes, Tips and/or Recommendations:
Sprinkle the tops with fine sea salt before baking, skip the cinnamon sugar
Add chopped currants or almonds to the dough
Roll in finely chopped nuts, roll in a cocoa powder sugar combination