Merry Christmas Eve! On this special day, I felt it only fitting to share a recipe for not only one of my favorite Christmas cookies, but for a traditional Ukrainian dessert. Having grandparents from Ukraine, I grew up in a family where upholding Ukrainian traditions was very important to us. I always felt this charge to recognize my roots, but this last year has reminded me even more how imperative it is to uphold these traditions.
As I’m sitting here writing this, I’m curled up in a warm house with my loved ones, anticipating our annual traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve feast. As happy and fortunate as I feel today, it is not lost on me that many Ukrainians in their home country are without heat, without their loved ones, and are grateful to have enough food to make it through another night.
As my heart aches for Ukrainians this Christmas, I’ve felt it even more special this year to come together with my family, connect with my background, and pay tribute to the beautiful, distinct Ukrainian culture that many people on the other side of the globe are fighting for their lives to protect.
And now, I would like to share with you a recipe for these delicious Ukrainian honey cookies. They’re sweet with a bit of spice, and they’re very easy to make.
what kind of cookies are these?
Medivnytchky are Ukrainian honey cookies. The word “Med” is the Ukrainian word for “honey,” which is the spotlight ingredient for these cookies. In order to get a consistency that’s easy to mix into the dough, you will need to warm the honey on the stove first. Then, it will take on a runny consistency, and you can simply pour it in with the rest of the ingredients.
what else goes into these cookies?
While your honey is warming, you’re going to beat together sugar and eggs until combined. Then, slowly add the honey, and mix completely.
In a separate bowl, sift together the baking soda and flour. For the spices, definitely add some cinnamon, but you can also add a small pinch of cloves for an extra kick if you want. Then, combine the dry and wet mixture, and add the oil. The batter should be nice and easy to mix with a large spoon. Once it’s combined, you just drop small teaspoonfulls onto a baking sheet, and you’re pretty much done!
about the icing
So I first want to caveat that you definitely don’t need to add icing to these. Keep them plain after baking, and you have an amazing tea cookie that’s easily enjoyed at breakfast or for a late-night treat. At Christmas, however, I do like to sweeten them up a bit with a very thin glaze of icing. It just gives them that extra little special feeling, and the glaze looks so pretty on the golden-brown cookies. I highly recommend!
If you do opt for a glaze, simply whisk together some milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Use a pastry brush to smatter each cookie with some glaze once they’re completely cooled.
I really hope you try this recipe and enjoy these Ukrainian treats. They’re one of my favorites, and they always feel so special among all of the other staple Christmas cookies.
Well, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! Stay safe, eat lots of food, and enjoy your loved ones as much as you can. Cheers!
⟶ the recipe
medivnytchky (ukrainian honey cookies)
ingredients
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup honey
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of cloves
For the icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
30 minutes
Makes 4 ½ dozen cookies
instructions
Warm honey on the stove in a small saucepan, until it’s runny. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, mix together sugar and eggs, then add the honey. Mix until well-combined.
In a separate bowl, mix baking soda, spices, and flour. Combine with sugar and egg mixture and add oil.
Drop dough by the teaspoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are fully golden brown. Remove cookies from oven and place on a cooling rack.
While cookies are baking, whisk together the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Once cookies are fully cooled, brush glaze onto each cookie and let it harden before serving.
⟶ recipe notes
- When making the glaze, my preference is usually a really thin glaze, so I use all of the milk to make it pretty runny. If you want a thicker icing, just add more powdered sugar or use less milk to make it thicker
⟶ store it
- Store cookies at room temperature in a tightly sealed container or cookie tin, and enjoy for up to 2 weeks
