Honey Pots

Many years ago, a dear friend gave me a book filled with recipes of sugar-laden decadence. The book contained no photographs, so I kind of tossed it aside. (No offense, friend.) When I finally picked it up, I stumbled on a page with a recipe that happened to call for ingredients I had on hand. The recipe was for Honey Pots, and since making it, I have only opened the book when I want to do one thing: make honey pots.

If sugar is poison, as they say, then these little treats should be against the law. And they are — all year long, until Christmas. And then, we eat them. But let me warn you. The photo below is of a 1″ (or so) square honey pot, and it's enough for my whole family. Yes. They are that outrageously, stickily, fantastically delicious.

Honey Pots

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 egg white for glazing

Topping

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Process the flour,and confectioner's sugar in a food processor for 20 seconds. Then, add the butter, and process until the ingredients form a ball.

Place the ball into a lightly greased 8-inch baking pan, and press with your fingers to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with egg white by rolling the white over the surface until coated. Discard excess egg white. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping.

Put the nuts, cream and vanilla into a small bowl and set aside.

Put the butter, honey and brown sugar into a saucepan and heat, stirring over medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to a low flame and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, without stirring.

Pour the boiled honey mixture into the nut mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the whole sticky, delicious mess evenly over the cooled base. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, until the topping is bubbly.

Allow to cool for at least an hour. Run a thick knife around the sides of the pan, then cut into delicious little bars.

This recipe is from Rosie's All-Butter Fresh Cream Sugar-Packed No Holds Barred Baking Book.