I remember my father raising bees and extracting honey when I was a child on the farm. If I had to guess, I would say that he did this just to satisfy his own sweet tooth. He loved honey, in all its forms — liquid, creamed and solid.
Fresh honey is a liquid, and over time it may crystallize and solidify. It has not deteriorated and is every bit as nutritious and tasty as fresh liquid honey.
The process of making creamed honey involves adding seed honey to liquid honey. Seed honey has already crystallized, so it promotes more crystallization in fresh liquid honey. One of the seed types you can use is honey that’s already been creamed.
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Any form of honey can be used in baking and cooking but the creamed honey will remain cloudy when liquified by warming.
Honey Graham Crackers
These graham crackers are ever-so-slightly sweet. Once you use these to make s’mores you will never go back to store-bought.
- 2 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour 655 mL
- 1 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed 250 mL
- 1 tsp. baking soda 5 mL
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt 3 mL
- 7 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen 105 mL/2.5 cm
- 1/3 c. mild-flavoured honey 75 mL
- 5 tbsp. whole milk 75 mL
- 2 tbsp. pure vanilla extract 30 mL
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar 45 mL
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 5 mL
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about one inch (2.5 cm) thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about two hours or overnight.
In a small bowl, prepare the topping by combining the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator.
Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch (.3 cm) thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary.
Cut into two-by-three inch crackers (5 cm x 7.5 cm). Prick with a fork. Gather the scraps together and set aside.
Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm and re-roll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get a few more crackers.
Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Makes about 42 – 2 x 3 inch (5 cm x 7.5 cm) crackers.
Honey Berry Cake
- 1 c. sugar 250 mL
- 1 c. canola oil 250 mL
- 1 c. honey 250 mL
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 c. orange juice 125 mL
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 mL
- 3-1/2 c. all-purpose flour 875 mL
- 1 tsp. baking powder 5 mL
- 1 tsp. baking soda 5 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries 250 mL
- 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries 250 mL
Glaze:
- 1 c. confectioners’ sugar 250 mL
- 2 tbsp. honey 30 mL
- 2 tbsp. 2 % milk 30 mL
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33 cm) baking pan or two loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, honey, eggs, orange juice and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into sugar mixture.
Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Take cake out of oven and sprinkle top of cake with raspberries and blueberries. Return to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 35-40 minutes longer. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over cake. Serve with additional berries, if desired.
Honey and Ginger Pork Stir Fry
I was skeptical about using pork tenderloin for this recipe but it is perfect. It is easy to slice thinly and is low in fat. This is so good. Serve with steamed rice, white or brown.
- 1 pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. honey 60 mL
- 2 in. piece ginger, peeled and finely grated 5 cm
- 2 tsp. sesame oil 10 mL
- 1/2 c. oyster sauce 125 mL
- 1/4 c. canola oil 60 mL
- 3 green onions, sliced diagonally
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 bunch green beans, cut into 2 inch/5 cm pieces and blanched for two minutes
- steamed rice to serve
Mix the honey, ginger, sesame oil and oyster sauce in a bowl. Add the sliced pork and stir to coat. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat a wok or heavy-bottomed deep pan over high heat until hot. Add one tablespoon (15 mL) of canola oil.
Drain and reserve the marinade from the pork. Add half of the pork to the wok and stir-fry for two minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate and do the same for the remaining pork with another tablespoon (15 mL) of oil.
Add the remaining oil, onions, red pepper, green beans and the reserved marinade to the wok. Stir-fry for two minutes.
Return the pork to the wok and stir-fry for one minute along with the vegetables.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- 3/4 tsp. salt, divided 3 mL
- 1/2 tsp. pepper, divided 2 mL
- 2 medium lemons
- 1/3 c. olive oil 75 mL
- 1/3 c. honey 75 mL
- 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard 45 mL
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. paprika 5 mL
- 1/2 c. water 125 mL
- 4 carrots, sliced into coins
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into rings
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Place chicken on a greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper. Thinly slice one lemon and place slices over chicken. Cut remaining lemon cross-wise in half and squeeze juice into a small bowl. Whisk in oil, honey, mustard, garlic and paprika. Pour half the sauce over chicken. Reserve remaining sauce for carrots. Pour water into pan. Bake 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine carrots, red bell peppers, remaining sauce, 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange vegetables around chicken in pan. Bake until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170-175 F (75-80 C) and vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.
Corrected recipe
This recipe has been corrected from the version that ran on page 18-19 of the Aug. 31 issue.
Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies
So chewy on the outside and moist in the middle! So satisfying in the field with warm coffee.
- 1 c. shredded zucchini (blotted dry with a cloth or paper towel) 250 mL
- 1 1/2 c. old-fashioned whole rolled oats 375 mL
- 1 c. flour 250 mL
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 mL
- 1/2 c. butter, softened to room temperature 125 mL
- 3/4 c. packed dark or light brown sugar 175 mL
- 1/4 c. sugar 60 mL
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 5 mL
- 1 c. chocolate chips 250 mL
Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Prepare two cookie sheets.
Blot the shredded zucchini with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Then add the egg and vanilla, mix on high until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix until well combined and then slowly beat in the oatmeal until thoroughly mixed into the batter. Then add the zucchini and mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer still running on low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Scoop or roll cookie dough, a heaping 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centres will look very soft but set.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Makes 24 cookies. Source: www.joyfoodsunshine.com.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and avid supporter of local food producers. She has been a market vendor, grew up on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan and is a member of TEAM Resources.
