Once the air gets colder and snow begins to fall, opening the door to the scent of cinnamon, cloves, and honey baking is every child’s dream. Honey is one of the strongest aromas in my Christmas memories. As the child of Slovak immigrants, baking Medovníky—spiced honey cookies—was an essential holiday tradition in my family. Decorated with simple white icing, these cookies resemble gingerbread but without the ginger and molasses. Instead, their sweetness comes from their namesake ingredient: honey. They taste like the holidays wrapped in a cozy blanket and are perfect to eat warm from the oven or straight from the fridge the next morning.
Decorating Medovníky is an art of its own. At winter artisan markets, you'll find cookies with intricate icing patterns carefully piped on top. At home, though, ours were rarely decorated—most were eaten before we could even reach that step! As a child visiting my grandparents in Slovakia, I remember leaving a market with a beautiful heart-shaped Medovník with my name piped in the center. I never ate it; it was too pretty, so it became a decoration.
The history of Medovníky is even older than their connection to Christmas. According to cookslovak.com, the first guild of honey-cookie bakers formed in Bratislava in 1619. Traditionally, the dough was sometimes left to ferment for months or even years to deepen the flavor. Honey, being a natural preservative, kept the dough safe from spoiling. Early bakers used carved molds to create shapes, while today most people use cookie cutters. As sugar and food dyes spread through Europe, Medovníky evolved into the colorful works of art seen at modern Christmas markets.
Like many traditions, Medovníky reflect Slovakia's focus on family during the holidays. In Slovakia, December 24 and 25 are spent almost entirely with close family—cooking, baking, eating a multi-course Christmas Eve meal, exchanging presents, watching Christmas cartoons, and attending midnight mass. Medovníky became tied to this time of year because they're simple enough for children to bake and decorate, and because a once-ordinary cookie becomes far more special when linked to memory and ritual.
Below is my family's recipe, adapted by my grandmother for American kitchens. Try making them yourself at Christmas—or any time of year if you want to honor the early Slovak bakers!
Lakatos' Medovníky (Honey Cookies) Recipe
- 5 cups (600 g) flour
- 2.5 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 5 tbsp honey (gently warmed with the milk)
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 113 g (1 stick) butter, melted (not browned)
- ½ cup milk (warmed with the honey)
Instructions
- Mix everything together and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Roll dough thin.
- Brush with beaten egg, then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-11 minutes on a greased sheet.
Egg White Icing for Decoration
- 150 g (⅔ cup) powdered sugar (sift twice)
- 1 egg white. Beat for 20 minutes until stiff, then pipe with a fine tip.
