To Bee or Not to Bee - Honey Recipes

[sister herb]

Let´s talk about Honey

The Sweet History of Honey

By: The Scribe on Monday, May 16, 2011

When archaeologists opened an 18th Dynasty Egyptian tomb in the Valley of the Kings, they made a startling discovery. There, amid furniture, vehicles and other funerary artifacts they discovered vessels full of honey. It had crystallized but was still edible. Honey that was over three thousand years old was not only still in the tomb it was still edible and had not spoiled in any way.

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Honey was used in many different ways by the ancient Egyptians. As well as being used as a natural sweetener for baked goods and other food, it was also a component in the mummification process used by the Egyptians to preserve their dead. Honey was also a part of the religious life of ancient Egypt. It was used as an offering to Min, an Egyptian god of fertility.

Honey was also used in other cultures besides the ancient Egyptians. People have been searching for this natural sweetener for at least ten thousand years. Cave paintings that were discovered in Valencia, Spain showed the process of collecting honey. In the painting, two women are collecting both honey and honeycombs from the nests of wild bees. The painting has been dated to the Mesolithic period.

While many cultures simply looked for honey in the nests of wild bees, the ancient Chinese actually developed beekeeping. It has been mentioned in texts dating from the Spring and Autumn period which lasted from 771 BCE to 453 BCE. In the books, which were written by Fan Li, tips for keeping bees successfully were mentioned. Fan Li, an advisor living in the Chinese state of Yue, stated that the quality of the wooden box used to house the bees was important. He stated that it could affect the quality of the honey that the bees produced.

Honey was used as more than just a sweetening agent or as a food. It was put on wounds by Roman legions as a way to speed up the healing process. Honey contains natural antibacterial properties that can help prevent infection so it was no wonder that it would be used for healing. Even now, many ointments and skin creams contain honey because of its healing properties. Honey was also used to treat skin rashes and burns for the same reason. In Mesoamerica, stingless honey bees have been revered by the Mayan people for thousands of years. They considered the bees to be a sacred animal and cultivated them, a practice which has continued to the present day.

Honey has also appeared in many different ancient religious texts including the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Qur’an.

Source: http://ancientstandard.com/2011/05/16/the-sweet-history-of-honey/

 

[sister herb]

Honey Joys

4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon caster sugar
100 grams butter
5 cups cornflakes
24 paper cup cake cases

Method

• Preheat oven to 160°C. Melt honey, sugar and butter in a large saucepan on high heat until frothy.
• Remove from heat and add cornflakes. Mix well until coated. Spoon into cupcake cases.
• Place on an oven tray and bake for 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool and harden in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Notes

1. Can be made up to two days ahead.
2. Very easy recipe with only one pot and spoon to be washed.
3. Ideal recipe for parents and children to make together.

Source: http://capilano.com.au/recipe/honey-joys/

 

[MeadowDust]

Do we salted or unsalted butter?

 

[sister herb]

Unsalted butter might be better - as this food is sweet one.

 

[sister herb]

Honey Cut-Outs from 1950's

Mix thoroughly 1/3 cup soft shortening, 1/3 cup sugar, one egg, 2/3 cup honey and one teaspoon lemon flavoring. Sift together and stir in 2 & 3/4 cups flour, one teaspoon soda and one teaspoon salt.

Chill dough.

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for eight to ten minutes. Cool and decorate. Recipe makes about 5 dozen, 2 1/2 inch cookies.

Source: http://craftola.blogspot.fi/2010/11/food-for-thought-friday-honey-lemon.html

 

[sister herb]

Honey cake with honeyed almond crunch

Ingredients
175 g slightly salted butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
85 g clear honey plus 4 tbsp for drizzling and extra to serve
85 g caster sugar
85 g almonds, crushed
200 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
100 ml natural yogurt
2 large eggs , one separated, plus 1 extra egg white
85 g flaked almonds (optional)

Process
1.Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line with a strip of baking parchment that overhangs each end – this will help you lift the cake out when it is cooked.
2.Put the butter, honey, caster sugar, ground almonds, flour, baking powder, bicarb and yogurt into a large mixing bowl. Put the egg whites into another small bowl. Put the yolk and remaining whole egg in with all the other ingredients.
3.Whisk the whites until stiff, then put your electric beater into the other bowl of ingredients and beat until just smooth. Stir in a third of the whites, then gently fold in the rest with a wooden spoon. Tip the mix into the prepared tin, scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 55 mins on the middle-lower shelf of the oven until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
4.Remove the cake from the oven. Quickly drizzle with 2 tbsp honey and scatter with a small pinch of fine salt. Put back in the oven for 5 mins more. Remove from the oven, drizzle with 2 more tbsp honey, then cool in the tin on a wire rack. Release stuck almonds from around the edge with a knife; then, using the parchment overhangs, carefully lift the cake from the tin. Eat in slices, drizzled with a little extra honey if you like.

Source: http://swagataraha.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/honey-cake/

 

[sister herb]

Lime-Lemon Sorbet with Honey

Preparation time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Frozen time: 4 hours or more
Makes: 5 cups

2 cups water
1 Tbsp lemon zest
3/4 cup (natural cane) sugar
2 cups lime-lemon juice (like 8 limes and 2 lemons)
Raw honey to drizzle on top (optional)

Zest one lemon until you got 1 Tbsp (about 1 lemon) and mix with water. Add sugar and lime-lemon juice and stir well until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Pour the mix into the ice-cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Mine churns for about 20 minutes. (Note: If you haven´t ice cream maker, keep sorbet in freezer 30 minutes more, stirring it few times.)

Transfer to a freeze-friendly container and store in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until ready to use. Prior to serving, it’s better to take out of the freezer at least 10 minutes before. After scooping some sorbet, drizzle honey over the top. It will solidify and taste like candy. Honey and lemon or lime are a perfect balance.

Source: http://www.deliciouswordflux.com/2011/08/lime-lemon-sorbet/

 

[sister herb]

JACKIE’S HONEY OAT BREAD (Makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:
1) 1 – 1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2) 1 teaspoon of baking soda (or baking powder)
3) A pinch of salt
4) 1 egg
5) 3/4 cup of (dark) brown sugar
6) 100g of melted butter
7) 3/4 (brown) honey
8) 1/4 cup of whipping cream or yoghurt (preferably greek)
9) 1/2 cup of quick-cooking oats + 1/4 cup of quick-cooking oats, divided

Steps:
1) Pre-heat your oven till 190 deg cel (or 375 deg farenheit)
2) Mix egg and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved
3) Add in melted butter to the sugar mixture and mix till combined
4) Pour in honey and whipping cream (or yoghurt) and then mix till well incorporated
5) In another bowl, sift flour and baking soda (or baking powder) and mix well
6) Slowly pour in flour mixture to wet ingredients, stirring well until you get a homogeneous mixture
7) Add 1/2 cup of quick-cooking oats and stir well so oats are spread out evenly in batter
8) Grease a loaf pan, and pour batter into the pan
9) Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of oats over the batter (0r slightly more), in order to cover the entire surface of the batter (for a prettier effect)
10) Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean
11) Serve cooled with a drizzle of honey (or alone)

Source: http://dishbydish.net/2013/06/11/honey-oat-bread-making-each-day-count/

 

[sister herb]

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
6 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoons apple juice and 1 teaspoon soy sauce* See Note

Preheat grill.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on hot grill coated with cooking spray. Grill chicken 5 minutes on each side.

Combine honey, apple juice and soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring well. Brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Grill 1 minute. Turn chicken over and brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Grill 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

6 servings.

*Note: I changed original ingredient to the apple juice and soy sauce as the original one was haram.

Source: http://thischihuahuawearspearls.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/spicy-honey-brushed-chicken/

 

[sister herb]

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 tablespoons of honey
• ½ cup Dijon style mustard
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or grated garlic)
• salt and lemon juice (about ½ to 1 teaspoon)

Directions

1. Place honey, mustard, oil, garlic powder in the container of your blender.
2. Blend until it all incorporates.
3. Taste, then add salt and lemon juice starting with ¼ teaspoon as a time until you get the taste you prefer. I used ½ teaspoon salt and 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
4. Enjoy and store in refrigerator
5. Yields: 1 cup

Use with your favourite salad.

Source: http://noshmyway.com/2013/04/07/raw-honey-mustard-salad-dressing-recipe/

 

[sister herb]

Fish Fillets with Lemon Honey Sauce



Method
1. Wash fish fillets thoroughly. Season with little salt and steam fillets of fish in a steamer for around 10 mins on medium flame (or you can fried them in the pan with oil if you haven´t steamer). Add some lemon grass while steaming for flavour (you can also use grated lemon zest of 1 lemon if you haven´t lemon grass).
2. As the fish is cooking, prepare the sauce with 2 tsp olive oil, 2 pods of garlic crushed, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 juice of lemon, 1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp soya sauce. Adjust salt and sugar according to your taste.
3. Remove the fish fillets from the steamer. Pour the sauce generously on the fillets.
4. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (parsley is ok too) and serve.

Source: http://favoritethingzz.blogspot.fi/2012/09/fish-fillets-with-lemon-honey-sauce.html

 

[sister herb]

Honey Candy

Servings: About 50 small pieces

Ingredients
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. butter

Directions
Put all the ingredients in heavy pan and cook over medium heat until it reaches the hard crack stage. Pour into a buttered cookie sheet. Fold edges of candy into middle until cool enough to pull. Pull and cut it into one inch pieces or roll in balls. Put on a greased cookie sheet. You can leave it there–or you can twist each piece in wax paper or cellophane.

I’d suggest that you wrap it if you want to carry a few pieces in your purse.

Source: http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/honey-candy/

 

[sister herb]

Peanut Honey Toffee

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups shelled and roasted peanuts
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 tsp baking soda

Preparation:
1. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil that extends over the edges, and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar is entirely moistened, then add the honey, corn syrup and salt.
3. Cook the candy over medium-high heat until it reaches 225 degrees F on a candy thermometer. At this point, add the peanuts and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 290 degrees F.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, baking soda, and peanut butter. Mix until well-combined, and then pour onto the prepared pan.
5. Spread the candy as thin as possible with a spatula or spoon and allow it to set at room temperature. Once it is entirely cool, break it into small pieces to serve. Store the brittle in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature.

Source: http://homesteadstyle.com/category/recipes/page/2/

 

[sister herb]

Fresh Squeezed Honey Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw honey {regular old honey is okay too}
• 1 1/2 cups steaming hot water
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice {4-5 lemons, depending on size}
• Ice cubes for serving

Directions:

1. In a heatproof 1-quart pitcher or bowl, combine the honey and hot water and stir until the honey is dissolved.
2. Stir in the lemon juice.
3. Add in ice cubes {we used about 20 cubes}
4. Let cool for at least 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Pour into ice-filled glasses.
6. Drink up!

Source: http://emilylevenson.com/recipe-fresh-squeezed-honey-lemonade/

 

[sister herb]

Honey-Orange Syrup

This glistening, citrus-infused syrup is like a beam of sunshine in the morning. Absolutely amazing over cornmeal pancakes or a bowl of fresh fruit.

• 1 cup honey
• Zest of one orange
• Juice of one orange

1. Wash an orange and zest completely ( I use a microplane). Juice the orange.
2. In a small pot, whisk together honey and the freshly squeezed orange juice over medium heat. Continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil and the orange juice is completely incorporated.
3. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest.
4. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a jug for serving or a glass jar for storing.

Yields: 1 cup syrup

Source: http://www.simplebites.net/five-simple-natural-recipes-for-homemade-pancake-syrup/

 

[sister herb]

Honey Citrus Syrups for Coughs and Sore Throats

Ingredients

• honey -- pure, unfiltered, unheated
• buckwheat honey (optional)*
• citrus: lemons, oranges, limes, Clementines
• herbs: fresh rosemary & mint
• dried spices: whole cloves, ground ginger, ground caramom, ground cinnamon

Directions
GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING JARS: (see specific ingredients for flavor combinations below)
Slice citrus into rounds. Cut rounds into halves or quarters so they will easily fit inside jar. In half-pint (1 cup) jar, add half of citrus, herbs/spices, and honey; stir gently to mix. Add remaining half of ingredients; stir gently. Top off with more honey, if needed, to fill jar. Cover and store in refrigerator. After 4 hours, stir to combine honey with citrus juices that have released. Syrup is ready to use. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 1-2 months. As syrup is used, may continue to top off jar with additional honey.

RECOMMENDED FLAVOR COMBINATIONS (These are approximate measurements, since citrus sizes can vary. As a guideline, jar should be approx. 3/4 full of citrus, leaving room for approx. 1/2 cup or more honey.)

--LEMON GINGER HONEY: 1-2 lemons, 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger), 1/2 cup honey (or enough to fill jar).
--ORANGE CLOVE HONEY: 1/2 orange, 16 whole cloves, 1/2 cup honey (or enough to fill jar). Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon also may be added.
--CLEMENTINE CARDAMOM HONEY: 1-2 Clementines, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 cup honey (or enough to fill jar).
--LIME MINT HONEY: 1-2 limes, 6-8 fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup honey (or enough to fill jar). Remove mint leaves from jar after 1 week to prevent spoilage.
--LEMON ROSEMARY HONEY: 1-2 lemons, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, 1/2 cup honey (or enough to fill jar).

*May use all regular honey, all buckwheat honey, or a mixture of half of each. Many find the buckwheat honey flavor to be too strong, so combining it with regular honey is a good compromise.


Warning: Never give honey to a child younger than age 1 due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning.

Source with more pictures and information: http://www.theyummylife.com/Honey_Citrus_Syrups

 

[sister herb]

^^
How to use these syrups:

• Swallow a spoonful or two of honey syrup to soothe a cough or sore throat.
• Stir a heaping tablespoon (or more to taste) into a cup of hot water.
• Stir a heaping tablespoon (or more to taste) into a cup of hot tea.

 

[sister herb]

Whole Wheat Grissini with Honey and Herbs



INGREDIENTS:-
Whole wheat flour.............................................................1 cup
All-purpose flour...............................................................1 cup
Milk................................................................................... ½ cup (Warm)
Honey..................................................................................2 tbsp
Instant Dry Yeast.........................................................2 tsp
Olive oil..........................................................................2 tbsp
Rosemary(dried) ..........................................................1 tsp
Carom seeds (Ajwain)..................................................1 tsp (you can use also thyme, see Note)
Sesame seeds..............................................................2 tbsp
Salt..................................................................................as per taste
Water...............................................................................For kneading.

Note:
The raw fruit pod of Trachyspermum ammi ( = carom seeds) smells almost exactly like thyme because it also contains thymol, but is more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as slightly bitter and pungent.





METHOD:
In a bowl, mix warm milk, 1 tbsp honey and yeast. Cover and keep it aside till foamy. This will take around 5 to 7 mins.

In another big bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt.

Add milk-yeast mixture, honey and ¾ cup of warm water. Knead well to form very soft and sticky dough.

If the dough is too thick, you can add more water but do not add too much of water at a time.

Transfer the dough on a floured surface.

Knead the dough with the heels of your hand for around 8-10mins to form soft and elastic dough.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Brush the dough with little oil. Cover it with a tea towel or cling wrap and keep it in a warm place for an hour or till double in bulk.

Preheat the oven, at 200 degrees and grease the baking sheet or a baking tray.

Punch down the dough gently and transfer it onto a lightly floured surface but don’t knead it.

Divide the dough into 2 parts. Cover 1 part with a plastic wrap for further use. This will be used for the plain grissinis with sesame seeds.

Take one part, press it and add rosemary and carom seeds. Knead it for 30 seconds so that the herbs are uniformly distributed.

Divide the dough in 10 equal parts.

Roll out each part into thin rope of around 10 to 11 inches in length and 6 to 7 mm diameter approximately the thickness of a pencil.

If the dough is sticky, you can slightly dust your hands but do not use too much of flour while rolling.

Arrange these ropes on the baking sheet or a tray ½ inch apart from each other.

Follow the same (i did not add herbs to 2nd part,kept it plain) with the 2nd part of the dough and coat each grissini ropes with sesame seeds.

Bake the grissini ropes for 15-20mins or till golden brown and crisp.

Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for sometime.

Source: http://www.cubesnjuliennes.com/2013/09/whole-wheat-grissini-with-honey-and.html

 

[sister herb]

Honey Roasted Peanuts

You can also add some herbs or spices to the sugar and salt mixture to create your own unique honey roasted peanuts. A teaspoon of cinnamon, ground ginger, or cayenne pepper would be nice.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shelled, dry roasted peanuts (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine sugar and the salt in a large metal bowl.

Heat honey in a large skillet over high heat until boiling. Continue cooking for two minutes. Remove from heat and add the peanuts to the saucepan, stirring quickly to ensure that all of the peanuts get coated with honey.

Quickly transfer the honey coated peanuts to the bowl containing the sugar and salt and using a strong spoon, quickly mix until the peanuts are well coated and practically all of the sugar and salt is on the peanuts.

Place the peanuts on the two baking sheets. The mixture should be warm but safe touch by now. Use the tips of your fingers to pat the clumps down and separate the peanuts. It is ok if some clusters remain, but try to separate them as much as possible.

Place the baking sheets in the oven for thirty minutes, stirring every five to ten minutes. Each time you stir, try ti redistribute the peanuts to a single layer. Remove from the oven and stir again.

Break them apart and serve immediately or transfer them to and airtight container and store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/03/honey-roasted-peanuts.html

Extra note: If you can´t find dry roasted peanuts from the local market, try this:

Prepare. Cover the baking sheet with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). Shell the nuts and, if necessary, remove their skins.

Cook. Spread the nuts evenly on the baking sheet. You can sprinkle them with a little salt if you like. Roast the nuts for 5 - 10 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. You should be able to tell when the nuts are ready by the fragrant smell they produce when roasted.

Enjoy. Leave the nuts to cool for a few minutes, as the oil inside will still be very hot. Enjoy as a healthy alternative to potato based snacks.

 

[sister herb]

Honey Glazed Winter Squash

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. winter squash
• 4 tbsp. honey
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. rosemary, chopped

Instructions

Split your squash in half and remove the seeds. You don't have to peel them. Then cut the squash into 1/4 inch slices; transfer the pieces into a bowl and add the 4 tablespoons of honey. Thoroughly coat the squash with the honey.

Next place the slices in a shallow baking dish overlapping them and drizzle the remainder of the honey from the bowl over the top.

Dot 4 tablespoons of salted butter over the squash and sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary. Bake this at 375 degrees F (190 C) for about 40 minutes.

Source: http://www.pallensmith.com/food/recipes/honey-glazed-winter-squash