Preheat an oven to 350 F. Soften butter at room temperature.
In mixer bowl with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar. Mix on low for 1 minute and increase to high for 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add in egg, honey, vanilla and grits. Start mixer on low and gradually increase to medium. Mix for 2 minutes at medium. Scrape down side. Cover and let sit 10 min at room temperature.
Combine remaining dry ingredients and sift together. After 10 minutes, add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low until just combined.
Lay out a piece of plastic wrap 12in long on a flat surface. Place the dough onto the plastic wrap and roll tightly into a log 1 ½ - 2in thick. Place in freezer for 30 min or until firm but not completely frozen solid.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice cookies ¼ - ½ in thick and place 2in apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and set. 8 cookies to a tray, they double in size when baked. If working in batches keep dough cold for ease of slicing. Allow to cool fully before frosting.
To make the butter cream, add butter, vanilla and honey to a mixer bowl with paddle attachment. Mix on medium until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and spoon in sugar. Mix until all of the sugar has been incorporated and frosting is smooth.
Add in milk and mix on medium-high for 2 min or until fluffy. Frosting should be stiff but not hard, if too stiff add more milk 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency.
To frost the cookies, spoon 1-2 TBSP of frosting per cookie and smear to the edges.
Using an offset spatula or butter knife and starting at the outer edge, place the tip in the frosting and working in a spiral motion swirl to the center of the cookie. This will create a rustic and decorative pattern.
Option. Drizzle with additional hot honey and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Tips
The level of heat in your cookies can be adjusted by substituting in wildflower honey for hot honey at any place it is used.
The colder the cookie dough before baking the better the cookies will hold their shape.
Frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container.
This recipe was created for Rodelle by Hanna Santoro, part of ADM's Culinary Team. Photos by Amanda at @frommetovuu.
