These Honey Biscuits are deliciously crispy and oh so sweet. Rolling them in cinnamon sugar before baking also adds a little sparkle to the final product.
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The recipe
This recipe for Honey Biscuits is a handwritten one from Nana Ling and is dated January 1942. She identifies "Marcella" as the source of this recipe. While this suggests it could possibly be an Italian recipe, traditional honey biscuits are common across much of Europe and throughout the world.
The "tested and tweaked" version of the recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
After some research, I couldn't pin this recipe to a particular country. But I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty – these biscuits are exceptional! The recipe is beautiful in its simplicity. Unlike many of the traditional recipes I came across when researching, this one uses just one spice – cinnamon. And plenty of honey, of course! (Love honey? Check out our Honey Joys, Honey Snaps, and Honeycomb recipes too!)
Ready to get cooking?
Ingredient notes
To make these Honey Biscuits, you'll need:
- butter
- caster sugar
- egg yolk
- SR flour
- cinnamon
- salt
- honey.
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact quantities.
How to make Honey Biscuits
The step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
However, keep these things in mind to help you find Honey Biscuit perfection with this recipe:
1. Start with good quality butter that you've left out of the fridge for at least half an hour.
2. Roll balls of the biscuit mixture in cinnamon sugar and make sure they're about the size of a walnut (roughly 3cm in diameter).
3. Remember to leave room for your biscuits to spread on the tray once they're in the oven.
4. Allow to cool and then enjoy with your favourite hot drink.
Buon appetito!
Storing
They should last up to a week if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You could also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to a few months. Defrost overnight at room temperature before serving.
More of Nana Ling's handwritten recipes
Nana Ling's handwritten recipe collection from the 1930s and 1940s inspired me to start this blog! Here are some more of my favourites from that collection:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Honey Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 115 grams butter
- 85 grams caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 170 grams SR flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 60 grams honey
- extra 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- extra ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius/340 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced).
- Cream butter and sugar on high speed in a stand mixer.
- Add egg yolk and beat into mixture.
- Add sifted flour and cinnamon, and salt and fold to combine.
- Warm honey so that it's runny (10-20 seconds in the microwave should work well) and add to mixture.
- Beat again until well combined.
- Place mixture into fridge for 10-15 minutes (or until it's just firm enough to roll into balls).
- Mix together additional sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll mixture into walnut-sized balls (about 3cm in diameter) and coat in sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Space balls of mixture apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Remember to leave enough room for the biscuits to spread.
- Place trays in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until a light golden colour.
Amy Fletcher
When you say cream the honey and sugar does that mean the sugar is completely dissolved?
Libby Hakim
Hi Amy. Ideally, the sugar should be dissolved. However, if this is a recipe with a high sugar to butter ratio (like many of the old-fashioned ones), it may not dissolve - just aim for the butter to be more pale and the mixture as fluffy as you can get it. This is a recipe I added years ago and is ready for a review - I'll make sure these things are clear when I revise it. I do remember they were great biscuits! Happy cooking!
Carolyn
Can you please use spoons or cups please as I can't work with just g I spend a lot of time looking up conversions. I'm just trying your bikkys now and they look good so far
Libby Hakim
Hi Carolyn. I try to add both now but this is an older recipe - I'll definitely be adding the cup and spoon measurements when I update this recipe. I'm in the process of going through old recipes at the moment. I remember these biscuits were lovely. Hope you enjoyed them too. Libby 🙂
Carolyn
How many spoonfuls is 60g honey please? looking forward to making them
Claire
What is sR flour? Can I use cake flour?
Libby
Hi Claire. SR flour is self-raising flour. You cna make it by using 1 cup of plain or all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. Happy baking!
Fiona
Delicious but agree that 20 min was a bit long. Took them out at 17 min and they were a bit dark. Maybe my oven was too hot at 180 degrees celsius. Will try again though 🙂
Libby
Hi Fiona. Thanks for commenting and sorry that I hadn't got around to re-testing since the previous comment. I've now had time to re-test the recipe and, yes, the temp and time was a bit off! So sorry. I've now adjusted the temp and time (170 degrees celsius for 15 minutes) and updated the recipe. Thanks again for commenting, and leaving a star rating, it's much appreciated. Libby x
Jo
Absolutely delicious! Easy to follow recipe that my daughter and I could do together.
20 minutes in a moderate oven was too long and burnt out first batch. 10 minutes was perfect ?
Libby
Hi Jo. So pleased you love the recipe but so sorry your first batch was ruined 🙁 I'll check the recipe again as that seems a big discrepancy. Perhaps I can be more specific with a temperature too. Glad it otherwise went well and it's one you could bake with your daughter ? Libby x
Polly
The article says 'keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version' but there doesn't seem to be one?
Libby
Hi Polly. Thanks so much for pointing this out. I've now added the code in so the recipe appears. Sorry about that! I switched recipe plugins on the website a little while ago and some of the older recipes have this issue. I thought I'd sorted them all out but obviously there are still some with issues which I'll go through and check for again. Thanks again and happy cooking 🙂 Libby
Laura
My girls are officially out for summer break over here. We will definitely make time to bake these! Thank you for your post!
Libby
Hi Laura. Wonderful - enjoy the break and warmer weather! And have fun baking 🙂
Carolyn
Yummy.....loved them
Libby
So pleased you loved them... they are VERY yummy indeed 🙂