Salted Honey Cinnamon Cookies with Flaky Sea Salt
By Pauline Ortiz
4
Servings
Easy
Level
This salted honey cinnamon cookie recipe is great for making in advance: You can store rolled cookie dough balls on or off the cookie sheet and bake and finish them shortly before eating. I make all the cookies at once and top them with warm honey and cinnamon and flaky sea salt (added right away for best results) or other toppings on a wrinkled cookie surface.
Melted butter helps give the dough a chewy texture. Brown and honey sugars add a caramel flavor. I whisk the butter and sugars until they look shiny, then stir in the other ingredients with a rubber spatula. Mix until no white streaks are visible. The dough will be thick before cutting.
Using a 2-tablespoon serving spoon when making cookies helps them all be the same size and shape. This promotes even rising and falling of cookies on the baking sheet and cooling sheet. Space cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake until the edges are light brown, and the centers are underbaked. Let cookies set further for 5 minutes on the warm baking sheet.
I warm the reserved honey until it flows easily and then glaze slices of hot bread lightly with the honey. I sprinkle salt on the slices of honey-coated bread and then use a sifter to sprinkle powdered cinnamon on top (I like my cinnamon flavoring to be mild). The salt does not turn to powder.
What makes this special
- Divide the dough before placing it in the freezer to reduce the time needed to prepare the dough on the day you plan to bake. No measuring is required when you bake.
- Even numbers of scoops mean you can split the dough evenly between pans. You can estimate which cookies will bake first.
- Smooth dough balls result in cookies with smooth edges and a crinkled top.
- The glaze is applied after baking and can be part of the same process as removing cookies from the oven.
- A full tray of food can be used to serve snacks at morning coffee meetings or desserts at weekend brunches.
Ingredients
- •½ cup unsalted butter (113g, melted and slightly cooled)
- •½ cup dark brown sugar (100g, firmly packed)
- •¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- •4 tbsp pure honey (40ml in the dough and 40ml for brushing)
- •1 large egg
- •1 large egg yolk
- •1 tsp vanilla extract (5ml)
- •1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (220g, spooned and leveled)
- •1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (4g, plus extra for dusting)
- •½ tsp baking soda (3g)
- •¼ tsp baking powder (1g)
- •½ tsp coarse flaky sea salt (2g, for finishing)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the melted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until glossy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Whisk in 2 tbsp (40ml) honey, the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until thick and combined.
- 3
Whisk the flour, 1 1/2 tsp (4g) cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
- 4
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula, stopping when the last streak of white flour disappears.
- 5
Portion the dough with a standard 2-tablespoon cookie scoop and roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms.
- 6
Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for exactly 30 minutes.
- 7
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 8
Arrange the chilled dough balls at least 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 9
Bake for exactly 11 to 12 minutes, until the edges are soft golden-brown and the centers look pale, puffy, and slightly underbaked.
- 10
Leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
- 11
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp (40ml) honey in a microwave-safe bowl for 10 seconds, until warm and fluid.
- 12
Brush a thin, even layer of warm honey over the warm cookies with a silicone pastry brush.
- 13
Sprinkle coarse flaky sea salt over the glazed cookies while the honey is still sticky.
- 14
Dust the cookies with extra ground cinnamon using a small mesh sieve held about 12 inches above the tray.
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