Licitar Honey Hearts

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Medium

A firm, honey-sweet cookie cut into hearts and finished with a glossy red icing and white piped trim. They are sturdy enough to hang as ornaments but still taste good. Makes 14 hearts in about 2 hr 24 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 14 min

Cooling 1 hr 30 min

Total 2 hr 24 min

Yield 14 hearts

Ingredients

Adjust yield

hearts

9 tbsp (200 g)honey
⅓ cup (60 g)granulated sugar
3 ½ tbsp (50 ml)water, for the dough
1 (50 g)egg
3 ⅔ cups (450 g)all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 g)baking soda
¼ tsp (2 g)salt
2 cups (250 g)powdered sugar, sifted
1 ½ tbsp (15 g)meringue powder
3 ½ tbsp (50 ml)water, for the icing
¼ oz (2 g)red gel food coloring

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Instructions

Warm the honey, sugar and water in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Cool until just warm, then whisk in the egg.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in the honey mixture to a stiff dough, knead briefly, wrap and rest 1 hour at room temperature.
Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two sheets with parchment. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and cut 3-inch hearts.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until firm and lightly browned. Cool completely on racks; they firm up as they cool.
For icing, beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder and water 3 minutes until thick. Tint one portion red and keep a smaller portion white.
Thin the red icing slightly, spread or dip the top of each heart, and let set 30 minutes. Pipe white borders and small flowers with the white icing and let dry 2 hours.

Tips

Rest the dough so it rolls without sticking.
Use meringue powder rather than raw egg white so the icing is safe.
Thin icing with water drop by drop; a little goes a long way.
Good with tea.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make licitar honey hearts?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 14 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 14 hearts.

How should I store licitar honey hearts?

Keep airtight at room temperature up to 3 weeks; they harden but stay good.

Can I make licitar honey hearts ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

A heart-shaped honey-dough cookie from northern Croatia, sold at church fairs since the Middle Ages and decorated with colorful icing and often a small mirror, made more as a gift or keepsake than for eating. Serve it with tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 14 servings this recipe makes.

252 Calories / serving

0.7g Fat

58.4g Carbs

3.8g Protein

33.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (14 servings): ~3528 cal · 10g fat · 818g carbs · 53g protein · 472g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.