For this round of Cook the Books, Simona of briciole is hosting The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch.
The Wedding Bees follows Sugar Wallace, a woman running from some past tragedy. Her bees, specifically her queen Elizabeth the VI, lead her by map points across the U.S. At every locale, Sugar befriends, heals, and helps all she meets but she is always moving on and running, ignoring the fact that she, herself, needs healed.
The novel finds Sugar moving into a quaint and quirky apartment in NYC’s Alphabet City. The cast of characters in Sugar’s new building include an anorexic shut-in, a single mother trying to make ends meet, two elderly grumps, a shy pastry chef, and a volunteer doorman.
Upon her arrival to NYC, Sugar’s easy life is literally upended by a handsome Scotsman who is partial to Hawaiian shirts. This move will be different.
OK. Intrigued? Yes? I was.
I won’t give the plot away, but about a little over halfway through the book I wanted to slap Sugar. I still admired her sweet (pun intended) demeanor and eagerness to help all around her, but I became annoyed. My dissatisfaction occurred after I found out what her big dark secret was.
“Get over it!” I wanted to shout.
But, who can resist a story that has a happy ending? I can’t. (Oops, late spoiler alert.) I also questioned some of the bee information in the book. Although I am not the beekeeper in the family, I do think I know enough to call Sugar on some of her bee knowledge. That being said, I did enjoy Sugar’s perplexing confusion as to why her bees were swarming.
I would classify The Wedding Bees as the perfect summer beach read.
Of course I was inspired to make something sugary sweet and I thought these cookies fit the bill.
Honey Cookies
Based on Old German Honey Cookies1 c. sugar
1 c. coconut oil
1 c. honey
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 t. ground ginger
sanding sugar (optional)In a saucepan over low heat, melt together sugar, coconut oil and honey. Let cool.
Mix together eggs, vanilla, baking soda and ginger. Gradually add to cooled honey mixture.
Slowly add the flours. Stir until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle or roll balls in sanding sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until golden (about 12-15 minutes).
Despite all the honey in these cookies, they are not as sweet as I imagined. They would be perfect for a tea Sugar might host for her building mates.
If you are unfamiliar with Cook the Books, please note that membership is open to anyone. (For more information, click here.) The next four books have been announced and I hope you see something that sparks your interest. I, for one, cannot wait for the next four:
- August/September: Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson (Hosted by Rachel, The Crispy Cook.)
- October/November: The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais (Hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen/)
- December/January: A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White (Hosted by me.)
- February/ March: The Unprejudiced Palate: Classic Thoughts on Food and the Good Life by Angelo Pellegrini (Hosted by Simona of Briciole.)
Please think about joining us.
I love these honey cookies with simple everyday ingredients and they look very inviting with the sanding sugar coating.
The ones I did not coat with sanding sugar are a bit “blah.”
A whole cup of honey?! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much in a cookie recipe before. I’m really curious about the texture!
Yep, a whole cup. And honestly, these aren’t my favorite cookie (but they’re growing on me)! I don’t know if I would sacrifice a whole cup of honey in the future. The texture wasn’t any different from a regular cookie. These probably most resemble a ginger snap.
I have a recipe for honey cookies that are purely honey sweetened – so awesome!! They are like sugar cookies that you roll and cut out, but use honey instead. I just love them. These look so dainty and I agree, perfect for tea time!
Wow. Have you posted it! I would love to have that recipe.
I don’t know anything about beekeeping but I know these cookies look wonderful 🙂
Thanks, Chris!
These look really good – for some reason I think they look like a great Thanksgiving cookie – I think I will makes some then.
They do have that taste of fall, I think.
I love their sugar coating on top and of course I love honey!
I love t cook and bake with it. Should do more with honey.
Sounds like a fun book! And these cookies would certainly attract me. Probably along with the bees. 😉 Fun post — thanks.
Thanks, John.
My brother has bees so I know why they swarm. 🙂 I’ve never made honey cookies, but if they’re not overly sweet, I might just give these a try because they sound right up my alley (especially when dipped in coffee).
I haven’t tried them with coffee yet but I like the dunking idea.
Sounds like the perfect summer read! And some delicious cookies to munch while turning pages 🙂
This is a perfect summer read!
She made me scream a few times too 😉 Love the plate on which the cookies rest. Thank you for contributing to this edition of Cook the Books.
So, yes, Sugar needed some guidance, but overall I enjoyed the book, Simona. Thanks for hosting.
Those cookies sound divine!
Thank you, Alicia.
Next time I make cookies these must be tried. I too wanted to yell, “Get over it”. But we all have our “blind spots”, guess that’s why they’re so called, and can make others impatient…even in books.
Goodness knows I have my blind spots.
These cookies sound perfect. I am surprised at how many people were ticked about Sugar’s deep dark secret. I, too, thought it was not that big of a deal but I think the point was her relationship with her family that should have been concerned first and foremost for each others happiness instead of appearances. Perhaps you have to have been in a position where your feelings played second place to “what other’s might think”. End of rant LOL
I think you make a valid point. Maybe I got sidetracked on the runaway bride theme and didn’t focus on the dysfunctional family as much as I should have. (You can rant anytime!)
Looking forward to our next four books. What a diverse selection.
Agreed!
These cookies are perfect for the book! Yum!
Cathy here of Delaware Girl Eats — these cookies look just yummy. I like crispy flattened cookies and will give these a try.
Such pretty little cookies–they would be perfect with my favorite honeybush hazelnut tea. 😉 Sugar did get a tad annoying at times but I still liked the sweetness (pun intended there too) of the book.
(Sorry I am so delinquent on my commenting for this round!)
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