Nick Malgieri
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Nick Malgieri

Honey Peanut Wafers

I owe the trick of imparting extra flavor to the cookies by using honey-roasted peanuts to my friend and mentor Maida Heatter. They add so much to the flavor of these cookies, I can’t imagine preparing them with anything else. These are a little tricky to bake because they need to spread out and come to a boil on the pan. Watch them carefully and don't bake more than 2 pans at a time and you'll be fine. Baking these on silicone baking mats makes the process much easier.

Makes about 36 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups (about 6 1/2 ounces) honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped, but not ground

Two cookie sheets or jellyroll pans lined with silicone baking mats or buttered foil

Storage: Keep the cookies between sheets of wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

  1. Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  2. Stir the flour and baking soda together and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, honey, and egg together until just mixed to avoid making a foamy mixture. Then whisk in the butter.
  4. Use a large rubber spatula to stir in the flour mixture and the chopped peanuts.
  5. Drop tablespoon-size pieces of the batter onto the prepared pans, keeping them about 4 inches apart all around. Moisten a fingertip with water and flatten each mound.
  6. Bake the cookies for about 5 minutes, then place the pan from the lower rack on the upper one and vice versa, turning the pans back to front at the same time. If you know that your oven gives strong bottom heat, bake the pan on the lower rack stacked on a second one for insulation. Continue baking for about another 5 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and are evenly golden.
  7. Remove the pans from the oven and slide the silicone mats onto racks to cool. As soon as you can pry the cookies off the mats, rinse the mats and bake more cookies.