Sweet apricot, warm spice, and a little curiosity—these cookies feature khmeli suneli, Georgia’s signature spice blend, often made with herbs, blue fenugreek, and yes, even marigold. This recipe wasn’t inspired by a single person, but by a moment of curiosity. A few years ago, I was trying to track down a Georgian restaurant I’d once heard about, and while Google didn’t help me find the restaurant, it did lead me somewhere better: into the world of Georgian cuisine. That’s where I first came across khmeli suneli—and immediately knew I had to find a way to turn it into a cookie.

There were two reasons I couldn’t let the idea go. First, the way Georgian meals are described—centered on connection and community—felt deeply aligned with why I started this blog in the first place. And second, when I read through the spices in khmeli suneli, I was convinced it couldn’t possibly work in a cookie… which, of course, made me want to try it even more.

The result? Surprisingly, convincingly delicious. Warm, slightly sweet, and just a little unexpected in the best way. When I gave a batch to one of my taste testers to share with her coworkers, she tried one—and immediately decided she wasn’t sharing after all. The rest of my testers were just as taken with them. I hope you love them as much as we did.

You may also want to check out some of my other savory-adjacent cookies. Manchego Chocolate Chip are beloved by literally everyone I’ve shared them with.

Apricot Khmeli Suneli Cookies

Recipe by Sarah

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Warmly spiced and delicately fruity, these apricot butter cookies are flavored with khmeli suneli—a Georgian spice blend known for its floral warmth and distinctive touch of marigold.

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

3

dozen

Prep time

15

minutes

Bake time

10

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• Apricot Khmeli Suneli Cookie Dough

• 1 cup Butter

• 1/2 cup Apricot preserves

• 1 Egg

• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

• 3/4 cup Powdered sugar

• 2 1/4 cups Flour

• 1 teaspoon Khmeli suneli

• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

• Apricot Glaze

• 3/4 cup Powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon Apricot preserves

• 1 tablespoon Water

• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

• Slightly heaping 1/8 teaspoon Khmeli suneli

Directions

• Apricot Khumeli Suneli Cookie Dough
• In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and apricot preserves until well combined.
• Add the egg and vanilla and mix again to combine.
• Stir in the powdered sugar until combined. The mixture may look a little curdled at this point, but don’t worry. Once you add the flour mixture, it will come together just fine.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, khmeli suneli, cinnamon, and salt.
• Stir in flour mixture until combined and the dough begins to cling to the paddle.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight.
• Apricot Glaze
• Add the powdered sugar, apricot preserves, water, vanilla, and khmeli suneli to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add additional powdered sugar or water to adjust the consistency to your preference. I dipped these cookies, so I wanted it quite thick.
• Assembly
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut shapes. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
• Let sit on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes to cool slightly, then remove to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
• Dip each cookie in the glaze. After lifting the cookie from the glaze, shake it for a few moments to remove the excess glaze, and place on a cookie sheet to dry.