Sweet on Honey: 28 Favorite Recipes
Honey-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies [1]
Amateur beekeeper and Chicago chef Myk Banas suggests serving these light cookies with your favorite sorbet or ice cream. His choice is a classic lemon sorbet.
Honey-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies [2]
Honey Cream Scones [5]
Fresh thyme and finely shredded lemon or lime peel add delicate flavors to these soft scones. Serve warm, and drizzle with a little extra honey if you like.
Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette [9]
"Potato salad is classic summer fare, but I rarely see one as light as this," says amateur beekeeper and chef Myk Banas from the Chicago Marriott Downtown. The addition of fresh haricots verts gives it fresh-from-the-garden taste.
Peach-Topped Honey Rice Pudding with Chocolate [13]
Peaches poached in sweet wine and rich dark chocolate add a sophisticated twist to homey rice pudding. The recipe comes from Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, Missouri.
Lemon-Mint Honeyed Iced Tea [17]
Stir lemonade or limeade concentrate and honey into a combination of mint tea and green or black tea for an easy, refreshing drink.
Honey-Glazed Buttermilk Oatmeal Coffee Cake [21]
North Dakota leads the country in honey production, with South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin ranking among the top states. This cake, created to honor the Peace Garden State, also reflects North Dakota's substantial oat production.
Honey Berry Frozen Yogurt Sundaes [25]
Fresh raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries star in our Honey-Berry Frozen Yogurt Sundaes, which take only 15 minutes to make from start to finish.
Whipped Honey Butter [29]
Try this creamy three-ingredient spread on freshly baked corn bread, biscuits or bran muffins.
Whipped Honey Butter [30]
Lemon-Herb Grilled Chicken [33]
Herbed lemon marinade cooks down with honey to a glossy, gorgeous glaze that gives this chicken a golden color.
Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey-Rum Dressing [37]
Mint, lime juice, rum and honey bathe this fruit mixture in fresh flavors.
Bavarian Honey-Bran Muffins [41]
Honey, sugar and raisins sweeten these hearty bran muffins. Serve warm with honey or butter.
Noodles with Honey-Balsamic Beef [45]
Tangy balsamic vinegar, sweet honey and the bite of red pepper flakes blend as they season this beef stir-fry. We like the crunch of the Chinese cabbage called bok choy.
Hot-Off-The-Grill Tropical Treat [49]
Looking for an informal yet special dish? Surprise your family or guests with this sweet fruit hot-off-the grill. Fresh pineapple slices get brushed with a lime and honey sauce.
Romaine Hearts with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette [53]
We based this salad on heart of romaine lettuce because it's so easy to serve. Colorful cherry tomatoes and tangy kalamata olives add flavor and visual interest.
Sweet and Spicy Caribbean BBQ Sauce [57]
Cookbook author Nina Swan-Kohler created this sauce to remind her of the Caribbean flavors she enjoyed while living in Trinidad and Tobago after college. Brush the sauce -- a combination of honey, chili sauce and spices -- on beef, chicken or pork.
Honey and Poppy Seed Hearts [61]
Honey gives these cinnamon-spiced cookies great flavor and a slightly soft texture.
Honey-Rhubarb Muffins [65]
Lemon-flavor honey butter accents the sweet-tart flavor of the rhubarb in these muffins. Either frozen or fresh rhubarb work.
Honey-Ginger Salmon [69]
Simple but sophisticated, this sweet and spicy salmon gets great flavor and aroma from a combination of honey, soy sauce, bourbon and ginger. Try serving the fish with steamed asparagus and a tossed salad.
Honey-Ginger Salmon [70]
Nut and Honey Crunch Granola [73]
Get creative with this breakfast or snack food! Layer the granola with yogurt, serve it with milk or eat it plain.
Wisconsin Honey Bee and Vanilla Bean Pudding [77]
Jill Prescott, a Midwest cooking-school teacher, shared this dessert named for her home state.
Curried Yogurt Marinade [81]
Use this spicy, golden marinade on pork, chicken, lamb or beef. Marinate your meat for 2 to 4 hours before grilling. Grill long-cooking meats over indirect heat, so the splash of honey in the marinade doesn't burn during cooking.
Roasted Root Vegetables [85]
Get fresh, sweet flavor from parsnips, turnips, potatoes, carrots and onions with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of sage.
Pancetta-Feta Red Cabbage [89]
Our warm red cabbage salad makes a tasty accompaniment to any roasted meat or chicken. The honey-mustard dressing brings tang and the baconlike pancetta a familiar salty flavor. Add the feta, and the blend is mouthwatering.
Polynesian Honey-Pineapple Chicken [93]
Marinate chicken in a sweet and tangy mixture of honey, pineapple juice, minced garlic and fresh ginger before grilling.
Grilled Ham and Corn Kabobs [97]
Fresh apricots make a surprise appearance in this skewered main dish -- perfect for a barbecue. Brush a mixture of apricot nectar, honey, lemon juice and mustard on the kabobs while grilling.
Orange-Honey Sweet Rolls [101]
The Kansas Wheat Commission shared the recipe for these sweet yeast rolls with us.
Orange-Honey Sweet Rolls [102]
Fruit Brunch Medley [105]
Honey and lime add snap to this fruit bowl with Granny Smith and Delicious apples, red and green grapes, kiwi, and dried tart cherries. Serve it at brunch or as a meal accompaniment.
Fruit Brunch Medley [106]
Honey-Baked Cornish Hens [109]
Team baked honey-glazed game hens with fruited wild rice and a trio of vegetables for a company-special meal.
Honey-Baked Cornish Hens [110]
Honey cooking tips [113]
Substituting for sugar: When you substitute honey for other sugar in a recipe, you're adding liquid, so you need to adjust the recipe accordingly. When baking, you can substitute honey for up to half of the granulated sugar in a recipe. For every cup added, reduce the nonsweet liquid by 1/4 cup, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and lower oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Measuring: When measuring honey, spray the measuring cup or spoon with nonstick vegetable spray coating so the honey won't stick to the surface.
Choosing a honey flavor: Many cooks like adding bold-tasting honey to baked goods, such as buckwheat honey in wheat muffins. Milder honey complements sauces, glazes and salad dressings. For example, try apple honey in a light vinaigrette. See next slide for more information on honey flavors.
Checking labels: Honey blends--honey and syrup--are increasingly common in stores today. To ensure you're buying 100 percent pure honey, always check the label.
Storing: Honey keeps for years in your pantry. If your jar of liquid honey becomes too granular, heat it in a pan of warm (not boiling) water until it's smooth and clear again.
For more honey information, go to the National Honey Board website (honey.com).
National Honey Board [114]
Honey colors and flavors [117]
Honey's color gives clues to its source and flavor. As a rule, light-color honey tastes mild. Dark honey tastes bolder. Try one of these Midwest varieties:
Alfalfa Delicate flavor with a subtle spiciness.
Apple Mildly floral, delicate taste.
Basswood Sweet and light with a hint of mint.
Blackberry Mildly sweet with a trace of fruit.
Blueberry Hints of green leaves and lemon.
Buckwheat Definite molasses and malt flavor with lingering aftertaste.
Clover Most common. Flowery aroma and mild taste. Hints of its blossom.
Goldenrod Slightly strong, almost spicy.
Raspberry Mellow, smooth flavor with raspberry finish.
Soybean Distinctive, mildly fruity flavor.
Star thistle Moderate sweetness with a grassy, anise aroma and flavor.
Sunflower Slightly herbal with citrus notes.
Tulip poplar Very mild for a dark honey.
Wildflower Taste varies by flower.
Honeys pictured include (left to right), buckwheat, prairie wildflower, goldenrod and clover. To order a four-jar sampler of some of our favorite Midwest honeys ($49.95), call 800/678-5752 or visit MWLcatalog.com.