Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer until fluffy and light.
Beat in the egg
Beat in the honey and lemon zest
Leaving the raw sugar for topping, whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating well after each, and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Cover the dough by pressing plastic wrap on the surface, to prevent drying out, and refrigerate for at least an hour. This is the kind of cookie that improves in flavor when you refrigerate it longer, up to 24 hours. An hour will work though.
When ready to bake, preheat the over to 350° and line heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the raw sugar [you can use granulated if that is what you have, but a coarser sugar is crunchier] in a small bowl and set aside
Use a medium cookie scoop to portion cookies [about 2 teaspoons each] and roll into balls. Work quickly so the dough doesn't soften.
Dip the top of each cookie into the raw sugar and place the cookies on the baking sheet. Drip several drops of water on top of each cookie.
At this point, you can go two ways. If you leave the dough in balls, you will end up with a softer, more cake-like cookie, and if you flatten with the bottom of a glass, you will end up with a crisper, chewier cookie.
Either way, bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes until nicely browned across the top. Leave on the baking sheet for a minute or two, and then remove to a cooling rack to cool off.
These cookies should be stored in a tightly covered container, at room temperature for up to a week. The cookies will taste even better a couple days after baking, so this is a good choice for making ahead of time for a holiday or get-together. They can be frozen.