Biscuits, Cookies or Sablés?

I say biscuit with my Scottish accent (and in French), but my American friends call these honey cookies. So let's clear up the vocab: when I say biscuit, I mean cookie - not the fluffy American biscuits like cheese scones.

In France, these are also known as sablés because the butter and flour are rubbed together until the mixture looks like sand (sable in French). In English recipes we say "breadcrumbs" - same thing. So they're more crispy rather than a flaky biscuit.

What Makes a Good Honey Biscuit (Cookie)?

Everyone has their own idea of the perfect biscuit or cookie. Should the texture be soft, chewy, or crispy? Perhaps somewhere in between, like these chocolate chip hazelnut cookies.

For me, flavour is just as important. Honey and lemon need to shine, so I cut the sugar to avoid masking them. Since honey is naturally sweeter, a little goes a long way.

The glaze is the secret to them. Brushed on before baking, it mixes honey, egg yolk, and a pinch of salt. The result? Golden shine, crisp bite, and even more honey flavour.

Ingredients for Honey Biscuits

These French honey butter biscuits are like a lighter version of French butter biscuits (Palet Bretons). Honey and lemon zest are what make them shine.

• Plain flour - use all-purpose flour or French T55 for best results. No baking powder.
• Sugar - just a little, as much as I dare (too much kills the honey and lemon flavour).
• Butter - unsalted, softened at room temperature (but not melted) so it mixes easily. Best to avoid salted butter and add just a ¼ teaspoon of sea or kosher salt, so not to add too much.
• Egg yolks - for richness in the dough and that glossy glaze .
• Honey - runny honey is easiest to blend, plus a extra for the glaze (uses honey instead of whole milk). Local honey is best!
• Lemons - zest only, for zing.
• Sea salt - just a pinch, to balance the sweetness.

Can I Use Honey for Baking Cookies?

Yes! French pastry chefs often add a spoonful of honey to keep cookies moist since honey absorbs water during baking. It also deepens flavour in a way sugar alone can't.

Likewise, by adding a little apple compote (or apricot), the pectin in the fruit absorbs the moisture like honey. I explain this in this coconut macaroons recipe.

Is it Good to Replace Sugar with Honey in Cookies?

Honey makes an excellent swap for some sugar in cookie recipes. It's sweeter than sugar, so you need less. It also brings a floral note that varies depending on the type of honey you use. Just be careful: honey browns faster in the oven, so watch baking times.

Best Honey for Biscuits?

Acacia honey works particularly well here: mild, runny, and easy to find. For a stronger flavour, darker honeys give these biscuits extra character:

• Miel de Garrigues (Mediterranean wildflower honey) - a herbal and aromatic substitute.
• Chestnut honey from Corsica - dark, intense, and wonderful in baking or simply drizzled over cheese like brocciu (like ricotta). To get an idea of flavour, dribble some mountain honey over a slice of  Fiadone Corsican cheesecake.
• Other mountain honeys - in general, the darker the honey, the more powerful the flavour. They add a lovely depth and make the biscuits taste even more of honey.

Although mountain honeys are pricier, they're worth trying if you spot them.

Easy Honey Biscuits Recipe with Lemon

This easy recipe is based on Croquants, crisp homemade honey biscuits found in the Auvergne region in France. Normally made with much more butter, I cut the quantity and added lemon zest from the classic recipe.

Yield: makes about 40 sablé biscuits (depending on the size of your cookie cutters).

Measure the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, cold butter, lemon zest, honey and salt. Mix all together well with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or sand: sable in French) then add the egg yolks.
If mixing in a stand mixer, use softened rather than melted butter with the paddle attachment (not whisk).

Split the biscuit dough into 2, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. At this point, you could put this in the freezer until later.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 5mm (¼ inch) thickness.

Cut the dough using your favourite biscuit cutter. Roll up the dough into another ball with the scraps and roll out again until finished.

Honey Biscuit Baking Times: Crispy or Soft?

Baking in the oven for another 2-3 minutes makes a crispier, darker biscuit that's even more intense in honey.

This batch was well fired after another 5 minutes. They look burnt but believe me, their honey flavour was even more intensified and their texture more crispy. Here are 3 baking time options, which sounds a bit like the 3 bears! Pick one that you feel is just right:

• 10 minutes: golden, slightly crisp, more shortbread-like with the lemon flavour.
• 11-12 minutes: crispier, golden brown, more honey flavour and lemon quite subtle.
• 13-14 minutes darker, crisp and honey intensified (not burnt!). Lemon hits in the aftertaste.

How to Serve Honey Biscuits

The glaze makes them look as good as they taste. Serve at teatime with:

• Darjeeling, lemon tea or Earl Grey (bergamot pairs beautifully with lemon).
• Rooibos redbush if you prefer caffeine-free (particularly good with ginger if you have a cold).