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Lemon Honey Cream Filled Beehive Cookies

Course Desserts, Snack
Cuisine German
Keyword Cookies, Pastries
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 Dozen
Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

For the Cookie Bases:

  • 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 Teaspoon Pure Lemon Paste

For the Beehive Shell Mixture

  • 7 oz Lady Fingers
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 3 Teaspoons Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
  • 1 Egg White
  • 2 Teaspoons Honey Liqueur (optional)
  • 3 Teaspoons Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • Powdered sugar for dusting or edible gold dust (optional)

For the Lemon Honey Cream Filling:

  • 1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
  • 1 Egg Yolk*
  • 4 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Lemon Paste
  • 1 Teaspoon Honey Liqueur (optional)
  • 1 Teaspoon Honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Make the Cookie Bases:

  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

  2. Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy (about 3 minutes)

  3. Add the egg yolk and beat until combined. 

  4. Beat in the pure lemon paste. 

  5. Add the dry ingredients and beat to combine.

  6. Wrap the dough in plastic cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

  8. Roll the chilled dough out and cut into circles using a 1.5 inch in diameter cookie cutter.

  9. Transfer the circles to the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes.

  10. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.

Make the Beehive Shells:

  1. Place the ladyfingers in a blender or food processor and pulse until the cookies have turned into fine crumbs. You want to achieve almost a powder.

  2. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the ground ladyfingers in the food processor and pulse to combine.

  3. Transfer the mixture to a mixer and beat together with the butter until smooth.

  4. Beat in the egg white, honey liqueur, and the condensed milk.

  5. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Make the Lemon Honey Cream Filling:

  1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.

Assemble the Beehive Pastries:

  1. Place a piping bag** with a #3 tip in a tall glass and fold the edges over the glass.


  2. Transfer the honey cream filling into the bag and seal the opening with a clip or rubber band.


  3. Remove the beehive mixture from the refrigerator. Dust the mold generously with powdered sugar. Break a piece of the dough and press it into the mold. Use a small sharp knife to scrape the excess dough off so it's even with the mold. 

  4. Use the knife to scoop out a hollow in the beehive's base. Squeeze honey pastry cream into the hollow and cap the bottom with a cookie base. 

  5. Gently tap the mold to release the Beehive shape and place the Beehive cookie on a serving plate. Repeat until the ingredients are gone. Dust the finished Beehive cookies with extra powdered sugar, if desired. 

  6. Brush on the gold dust by diluting it with a few drops of vodka or any clear drinking alcohol. OR Sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops of the hives. (optional)

Recipe Notes

*This recipe contains raw egg. Egg products are required by law to be pasteurized but raw eggs are not covered by this law. If you are worried about Salmonella, only buy and use pasteurized eggs which can be found in some grocery stores. Read more about pasteurization and salmonella from raw eggs at the American Egg Board.

**If you don't have a piping bag or tips, you can use a ziplock bag. Fill the bag with the pastry cream, snip off a small hole in one corner to squeeze the filling through.