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Loading...These extremely hard, deeply caramelized cookies are a centuries-old specialty from the Walloon city of Dinant. Made from little more than bread flour, Belgian honey, and butter, the dough is cooked on the stovetop before being shaped and slowly baked until it turns a glossy, almost lacquered amber. They are intentionally rock-hard and meant to be dunked into coffee, tea, or a glass of Belgian ale.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings (about 20 cookies)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 870 kcalCalories
- 32 gFat
- 20 gSaturated Fat
- 130 gCarbs
- 4 gFiber
- 78 gSugar
- 13 gProtein
- 20 mgSodium
- 180 mgPotassium
- 50 mgCalcium
- 6 mgIron
- 0 mgVitamin C
- 250 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 500 g (about 4 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 300 g (about 1 cup) Belgian wildflower or buckwheat honey
- 125 g (about 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)
For Shaping and Baking
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for greasing
- 1 tbsp milk, for brushing
- A few whole cloves or blanched almonds, for pressing into shapes (optional)
Directions
- Grease two large baking sheets with the softened butter (do not use parchment; the dough needs to grip slightly).
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the honey, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest, stirring constantly until smooth and just beginning to bubble, about 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, about a third at a time, using a wooden spoon. The dough will be very stiff, glossy, and almost clay-like; this is normal.
- Return the pan to very low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes to set the flour and deepen the flavor. Turn onto a buttered surface and let cool until just warm enough to handle, about 8 minutes.
- Roll the dough out to about 8 mm (1/3 inch) thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters (traditional molds are pressed into the dough), brush lightly with milk, and press a clove or almond into the center if using. Transfer to the prepared sheets, leaving 3 cm of space between cookies.
- Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 150°C (300°F) oven for 22 to 25 minutes, until the cookies are a deep, even amber and feel firm. They will still be slightly soft in the center but will harden completely as they cool.
- Cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool fully (at least 1 hour); the cookies will be rock-hard when completely cooled.
- Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 3 months. To eat, dunk each cookie briefly into hot coffee, tea, or Belgian ale until the surface softens slightly.
Cook’s Notes
- These cookies are intentionally rock-hard when fresh; this is the traditional texture and the whole point of the recipe. Do not shorten the bake to soften them.
- Buckwheat honey (miel de sarrasin) gives the most authentic dark color and slightly bitter edge, but any good Belgian wildflower honey works well.
- Work the dough while still warm. If it stiffens and cracks before you finish shaping, return it to the pan with 1 teaspoon of water and warm gently over low heat until pliable again.
- Traditional molds made of carved hardwood are pressed into the raw dough to leave detailed impressions (lions, stars, religious figures, key shapes from Dinant); wooden dowels or rubber stamps work as substitutes.
- Keep well away from humidity. Stored in a sealed tin, these cookies stay good for months, which is how bakers in Dinant traditionally kept a stock in the pantry through winter.
