Ingredients

• Cookies
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• Icing
• 3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4-6 drops red food coloring (optional)

Directions

Cookies
Cream butter and brown sugar in an electric mixing bowl until

fluffy. Add honey, egg and lemon extract and beat again until smooth and creamy. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter, sugar and honey mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms, scraping sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Transfer dough to a work surface. Divide dough in half and form 2 balls, then wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill 4 hours in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll out one of the cookie dough balls to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter (or a variety of heart shaped cookie cutters), cut out cookies. (Tip: If you have small enough heart-shaped cutters, you can also cut out small heart holes in centers of larger heart-shaped cookies.)

Using a spatula, carefully transfer cookies to a greased baking sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch. Cool cookies on pan for about 2 minutes, then trasnfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Allow to completely cool. Repeat entire process with remaining dough ball.

Icing
Combine confectioner's sugar, butter, lemon extract, and milk in a medium bowl. Beat (electric handheld mixer is recommended for smoothest results) until smooth. Using a pastry bag with any variety of decoraing tips, pipe desired decoartions onto cookies. Allow icing to become firm, then store cookies ina a single-layer in an airtight container.