Cooking with Honey

Storing Honey: Store honey at room temperature, never in the refrigerator.

If honey crystalizes, simply place the honey container in warm water and stir until crystals dissolve. Or, microwave in a microwave-safe containter, stirring every 30 seconds until crystals dissolve. Be careful not to boil or scorch the honey.

Substitution and Cooking Tips: For best results, select recipes developed for using honey. When you do use honey as a substitute for granulated sugar, begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe. With experimentation, honey can be substituted for all of the sugar in some recipes. When using honey as a substitute for sugar in baked goods:

-- Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used

-- Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used

-- Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees F to prevent over-browning

NOTE: Honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for older children and adults.

(source: National Honey Board)

For more honey recipes than you can shake a stinger at, visit the National Honey Board website.

Honey Recipes
From the National Honey Board

Thai Honey Chicken Wings

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, or to taste
8 chicken wings (about 2 lbs.)

In large bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken wings, stirring to mix thoroughly. Add wings, stirring to coat. Cover and chill for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. To cook, place wings on foil-lined baking pan, reserving excess marinade. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes, basting with reserved marinade halfway through cooking, until wings are golden brown and cooked through. Remove pan from oven and heat broiler on high; broil wings until deeply browned. Transfer to serving platter to serve.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups jicama sticks
2 cups hulled and halved strawberries
4 kiwifruit, peeled and cut into rounds
2 oranges, peeled and cut into rounds

In large mixing bowl, combine honey, lime peel, lime juice and cinnamon. Add jicama and fruit; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Makes 4 servings. Note: 1 Tablespoon Tequila may be added to dressing, if desired.

Chewy Honey Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins, chocolate or butterscotch chips

In medium bowl, beat butter with sugar until thoroughly blended. Blend in honey. Blend in egg and vanilla mixing until smooth. In separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; blend into honey mixture. Blend in raisins or chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool 2 to 3 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Makes 24 cookes.

High altitude adjustment: Increase oats to 2 cups and decrease whole wheat flour to 3/4 cup.

2 to 2-1/2 cups winter squash, pared, seeded and cut into chunks
1 turnip, pared and cut into chunks
1 cup julienne carrots
1 small onion, halved and quartered
1/4 cup HONEY
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 tsp. grated orange peel
14 tsp. ground nutmeg

Steam squash, turnip, carrot and onion over water in covered skillet about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. Combine HONEY, margarine, orange peel nutmeg. Drizzle over vegetables and toss. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

FUDGEY HONEY BROWNIES

1 package (19.8 ounces) fudge brownie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. HONEY
1 egg
HONEY Whipped Cream
Bottled hot fudge topping

Combine all ingredients; mix and spread in greased and floured 5-cup heart-shaped baking pan. (An 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan can be substituted.) Bake according to package directions for 8 x 8-inch pan. Cool thoroughly. Invert onto serving plate. Spread with HONEY Whipped Cream or pipe cream through pastry tube. Drizzle with hot fudge topping.

Makes 8 servings.

HONEY WHIPPED CREAM:
Beat 1 cup whipping cream until mixture thickens; gradually add 3 tablespoons HONEY and beat until soft peaks form. Fold in 1 tsp. vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.

From chef Marcus Samuelsson (Aquavit)

Swedish Meatballs (with Honey!)

For meatballs:
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
2 Tbsp HONEY!
1 large egg
kosher salt and freshly gound black pepper
3 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the sauce:
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup lingonberry preserves or cranberry relish
2 Tbsp juice from jar of pickles
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make Meatballs:
In a bowl, mix bread crumbs with cream until moist. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion with meat, honey, and egg in a clean bowl, using your hands. Add salt and pepper to taste. STIR in bread-crumb mix. With wet hands, make 24 golf-ball-sized meatballs. Place on a slightly wet plate. MELT butter in a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs, turning often until browned and cooked (about 7 minutes). Transfer to a clean plate. keep skillet on heat, discarding all but 1 tablespoon of fat.

Make Sauce:
Whisk stock, cream, preserves, and pickle juice into skillet. Simmer; add salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs; reduce heat to medium; simmer until heated through (5 minutes) and sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve:
Hot with preserves and pickles.

Some Minnesota State Fair 2004 Blue Ribbon Recipes

Honey Granola Mary Gorham

1/4 cup flaxseeds
2 cups sliced almonds
6 cups old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. salt
1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds
3/4 cup HONEY

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Finely grind flaxseeds in coffee/spice grinder. Stir together with oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, oil, and honey in a large bowl. Spread mixture evenly in 2 large shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, stirring and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden brown, about 30 minutes total. Cool granola completely in pans on racks. Stir once while cooling. Makes about 10 cups

Honey Snack Mix Jenni Eidsvold

7 cups Crispix cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
3 cups miniature pretzels
2 cups Cheerios
2/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup HONEY

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix cereals, pretzels and nuts in large bowl. Set aside. Melt margarine, add honey and pour over cereal mixture. Spread mixture in 2 jellyroll pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Do not overbake as it may bum easily. Remove from oven; cool 3 minutes. Pour on wax paper to finish cooling. Store in airtight container.

Peach Pie Elaine Janas

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
6 tbsp. ice water

Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. comstarch
5 cups sliced peaches
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup HONEY
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Blend sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Stir into sliced peaches. Blend honey, lemon juice, and almond exlract. Add to peaches.

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Add ice water, 1 tbsp. at a time. Toss lightly with a fork until mixture sticks together. Gather into a ball. Divide in half. Wrap and chill. Roll out on floured pastry cloth. Place in pie pan. Fill with fruit. Dot with butter. Roll second crust for top crust. Cut vents, seal and flute edges. Bake 45-50 minutes at 425 degrees F or until juices bubble in center.

Honey Date Bread Marjorie Johnson

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup boiling water
cook for two minutes, cool

1/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup HONEY
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large electric mixing bowl, cream together the cooled date mixture, Crisco, granulated sugar, honey and egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add on speed 1 to honey mixture. Stir in chopped walnuts. Put batter in two greased and floured 3-1/2 by 7-1/2 loaf pans. Bake in 350 oven 40-45 minutes.

Tomato Salsa Donna Powers

12 lbs. Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups cider vinegar
2-1/2 cups shopped onions
1/2 cup wildflower HONEY
8 hot peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
6 inches stick cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Peel tomatoes. Cook for 15 minutes, then drain off half the juice. Add celery, onion, and peppers and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking for 2 hours more. Remove the cinnamon. Pack into hot jars and seal.

Honey and Spice Cookies Donna Powers

4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups wildflower HONEY
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream shortening, honey, and sugar. Beat in egg. Mix in dry ingredients. Beat well. Add dates and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheeL Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup HONEY

Mix dry ingredients; set aside. Cream butter and honey together. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with bananas. Pour into greased and floured or nonstick pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Honey Carrot Cake Nancy Burgeson

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup grated carrots
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 cup bran flakes
1 cup HONEY
1.cup oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest.
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 10 cup bundt pan. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a small bowl, combine the oil, honey and eggs. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and beat well with a wooden spoon. Stir in carrots, raisins, nuts, bran, orange zest and vinegar. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely on cooling rack.

Honey Dijon Mustard Sauce Donna Powers

4 Tbsp. Wildflower HONEY
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
4 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brown mustard
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. mustard seed

In a food processor or blender, whirl to mix all ingredients except for canola oil. Add oil, and beat until well blended. Makes 1/2 cup. Excellent on chicken or fish.

Honey BBQ Sauce Sonia Jacobsen

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. powdered gadic
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 cups catsup
1 cup HONEY
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Process in a jar if desired.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake Anne Venne

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
8 eggs, separated
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup boiling water
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. HONEY
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1-3/4 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Sugar

Stir cocoa into boiling water until smooth. Cool for 20 minutes. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in bowl. Make a well in the center and add in this order: oil,. honey, egg yolks, cocoa mixture and vanilla. Beat with a spoon until well mixed. Beat egg whites and the cream of tartar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over egg whites and mix gently, folding with a rubber spatula just until blended. Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 60-65 minutes. Cool completely prior to removing from pan.

Scones Marjorie Johnson

2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. HONEY
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. orange rind

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange rind. Cut in butter into flour mixture. Mix egg, honey and buttermilk and add to mixture. Tum dough on a floured cloth and knead lightly 10 times. Roll into 9" circle; cut into 10 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Parmesan Pesto Honey Butter Katherine Handley

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup margarine
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tsp. HONEY
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Pesto:
1-1/2 tsp. dried tomatoes & garlic pesto
1-1/2 tsp water

Microwave tomato and water for 10 seconds. Let stand 2-3 minutes. In medium bowl, add butter, margarine, honey, parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Use electric mixer to whip. Add pesto to mixture. Mix well.

Yield: 1 cup. Refrigerate

Honey Feta Cheese and Pesto Dip Katherine Handley

Pesto:
1/2 tsp. Tastefully Simple dried tomato & garlic pesto

1/4 tsp. sweet basil leaves
1-1/4 tsp. water
1-1/4 tsp. olive oil

Heat in microwave 10 seconds. Let stand 3 minutes.

In medium bowl add:
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 tsp. HONEY
3 tsp. crumbled feta cheese with Califomia Tomato & Basil

Mash feta cheese with fork - add pesto mixture. Stir to mix. Yield: 1 cup. Refrigerate

Honey Peanut Butter Cookies Betty Link-Ettel

3/4 cup peanut butler
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup HONEY
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. Milk
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
1 egg
1-3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine peanut butler, shortening, honey, milk and vanilla..Beat until well blended. Add egg beat until blended. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Drop dough by tablespoon 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

For Your Bread Machine:

Oatmeal Walnut Bread Jane Bolenbaugh

2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 Tbsp. HONEY
7/8 cup milk
3 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tsp. gluten
1 tsp. dry yeast

Panasonic Bread Machine - Whole wheat bake rapid for 3 hours.

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