Category Archives: Honey

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The Goddess’s Honey And White Chocolate Lava Cake With Honey Raspberry Sauce

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lava cake

If you love cooking with honey, you will adore this recipe!

I hope this honey recipe makes your International Women’s Day even better!!

Yield:  5 servings

Ingredients:

6 ounces white baking chocolate

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

3/4 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 5 ramekins with butter, set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and white chocolate.

In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the honey and vanilla. Pour in the melted butter and chocolate and stir until combined.

Mix one egg yolk at a time into the sugar mixture, ensuring each yolk is fully combined with each addition.

Using your stand mixer and whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium until foamy. Slowly add the remaining 1/3 cup of honey and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.

Fold half of the beaten egg whites along with half of the flour into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold until combined.

Add the remaining half of the egg whites along with the remaining flour and fold gently until combined.

Divide the white chocolate lava cake batter between the ramekins, filling each ramekin 3/4 to the top.

Put in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes – check frequently and do not overcook as this will result in the centers being too solid.

The lava cakes are done baking when the outer edges around the top are firm but the center still jiggles.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Loosen the cake edges with a knife if necessary and turn each ramekin upside down to place the cakes onto serving plates.

Cut each white chocolate lava cake from the center outwards, allowing the inner filling to spill out.

Garnish with Honey Raspberry Sauce (recipe below) and whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Honey Raspberry Sauce

Cover 12 ounces of frozen raspberries with honey and allow to thaw. The raspberry juice and honey will combine to form a delicious sauce.  Serve over cake, ice cream or yogurt.

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Madame Marie’s Sensual French Honey Chocolate Mousse

I feel certain that Madame Marie Curie enjoyed this classic, sensual French dessert on more than one occasion.

Yield:  10 servings

Ingredients

1 pound good quality semisweet dark chocolate  (or white chocolate, if you prefer)
16 oz honey
3 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Combine chocolate and honey in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave 1 minute at a time (or less) stirring after each time (When melting chocolate  in microwave, don’t do until it melts completely. While it is still holding its shape, stir until it’s completely melted). Let cool.

Beat egg whites with a stand mixer, slowly add granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.

Rinse out the mixer bowl, add the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture.

Chill in bowl or divide into bowls. Top with your choice of berries.

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Julia’s Iconic Recipe For Boeuf Bourguignon – With A Touch Of Honey

Be sure and watch the video. It’s a classic!

This is my favorite of Julia’s recipes, with French Onion Soup a close second. Of course, a touch of honey only makes it better!!

Yield:  6 servings

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

2 tablespoons honey

18 to 24 white onions, small

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, honey and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

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Romancing The Bee’s “Countdown To Spring” Giveaway!

Romancing the Bee is celebrating the arrival of Spring on March 20 by giving away prizes to three lucky readers!

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First Prize – A copy of Cooking with Honey and a jar of Romancing the Bee honey.

Second Prize – A copy of Cooking with Honey

Third Prize – A jar of Romancing the Bee honey

All you have to do is “Like” Romancing the Bee on Facebook between March 1 and 11:59 pm on March 20th. Winners will be selected by a random drawing and will be notified via Facebook.

The names of the lucky winners will be posted Facebook and on this blog.

Join Romancing the Bee in welcoming Spring!!

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Mary Todd Lincoln’s Honey, Almond And Vanilla Cake

white_cake

This is supposedly the cake that Mary Todd used to win Abe Lincoln’s heart. The original recipe didn’t call for honey, but it definitely improves the taste and texture of this rich pound cake.

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1 cup honey

1 cup granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of baking soda

3/4 cup milk

6 eggs, separated (best when eggs are cold)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.

With an electric beater or stand mixer, cream butter ,honey and sugar until light yellow in color and fluffy.

Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda three times. Fold flour mix into creamed butter, honey and sugar, alternating with milk, until well blended. Stir in almond flour and beat well.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they have stiff, firm peaks. (Use egg yolks for another use  Beaters and bowl must be washed and dried thoroughly before whipping egg whites or they will not stiffen properly. Fold egg whites gently into batter with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool for at least 20 minutes before inverting, then allow to completely cool before serving. Sift confectioners’ sugar on top.

Makes about 12 slices.

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Honey Peking Chicken With Steamed Buns

peking-chicken-with-steamed-buns

Ching Shih would probably have wanted Peking Duck rather than chicken, but these are just as good!

Honey Peking Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, skin on

1-1/2 teaspoons five spice powder

3 slices of ginger, smashed with side of knife

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice wine (or dry sherry)

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Using the tines of the fork, prick holes through the skin and meat of the chicken. This allows for the marinade to seep through. Combine all the rest of the ingredients and marinate the chicken breasts for up to 4 hours.

2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Drain the breasts, discard marinade, and pat the chicken very dry, especially the skin side. Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in large oven proof fry pan on high heat. When oil is hot, place chicken, skin side down in the pan. Fry until the skin is golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. (tip: don’t move the chicken when you are frying it. just leave it alone and let it fry to crisp up) Turn skin side up and place oven proof fry pan in the oven for 15 minutes, until cooked through.

3. Remove from pan and let rest on cutting board for 10 minutes. Carefully cut the chicken breast into thin 1/2″ slices – try cutting on the diagonal to get nice, long, thin slices.

Steamed Buns

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for dusting work surface

2 cans Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuit dough (7.5 ounces each)

20 parchment squares (about 4″x4″)

Directions

1. Dust work surface with the flour. Open the can of dough. Separate out the biscuits – there should be 10 in each can. Keep the dough covered loosely with plastic wrap or towel. Roll each biscuit into an oval and fold in half. Place on parchment square. Keep covered until ready to steam.

2. Steam the buns for 12 minutes. You’ll steam the buns in batches, avoid overcrowding the plate while steaming otherwise the buns will stick to each other.

To Serve

1 English or Japanese cucumber, cut into very thin julienned strips, soaked in 1 cup ice cold water, drain before serving
3 green onion stalks, cut into the thinnest possible shavings, soaked in 1 cup of ice cold water. drain before serving
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce

To Eat

Open bun up (careful not to break it apart!), slather some Hoisin sauce, add 3 slices of chicken, a few cucumber strips, and green onion shavings. Enjoy.

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Thick Yogurt With Honey From The Land Of Milk And Honey

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Deborah the Matriarch may have enjoyed a dish like this thick yogurt (aka Greek yogurt) with honey and seasonal fruit. This is the easy version, but it’s almost as easy to make your own yogurt.

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:

1 quart (4 cups) container of plain yogurt

Honey

Directions:

Line a medium-large bowl with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean white dish towel.

Dump a 1 quart container of plain (unflavored), yogurt into the center of the cloth.

Bring the four corners of the cloth together and lift the yogurt.

Over the bowl or sink, twist the corners to squeeze out the liquid (it will drain through the cloth).

Continue squeezing, putting the yogurt under pressure, to force the liquid out.

When the majority of the surface liquid has been drained, it will start to drip more slowly. Tie off the top of the cloth just above the mass of yogurt with string.

Place the cloth containing the yogurt in a strainer or colander, and place the strainer or colander in a bowl where it doesn’t touch the bottom (so that the liquid can continue to drain).

Place the bowl containing the strainer/colander in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 2-3 hours.

After draining, take the cloth containing the yogurt and put it in the sink (do not remove the string).

Place the palms of your hands on the bag and press down to force out any remaining liquid.

Remove the string, open the cloth, and using a spatula, put the yogurt in a bowl for use.

Note: How thick is thick? The yogurt should be at least as thick as sour cream.

For vegans: Buy or make soy yogurt and strain as above.

Drizzle with honey and serve.

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Vegetarian Honey Winter Vegetable Soup

vegetarian winter veg soup

Reprinted from Salon.com

There’s never been a better time to be a half-assed vegetarian. Five years ago, the American Dialect Society honored the word flexitarian for its utility in describing a growing demographic—the “vegetarian who occasionally eats meat.” Now there’s evidence that going flexi is good for the environment and good for your health. A study released last October found that a plant-based diet, augmented with a small amount of dairy and meat, maximizes land-use efficiency. In January, Michael Pollan distilled the entire field of nutritional science into three rules for a healthy diet: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” According to a poll released last week, Americans seem to be listening: Thirteen percent of U.S. adults are “semivegetarian,” meaning they eat meat with fewer than half of all their meals. In comparison, true vegetarians—those who never, ever consume animal flesh—compose just 1 percent.

Yield:  10-12 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, halved and sliced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

2 ribs celery, finely diced

1 large onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

One 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 quarts water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

One 2-by-2-inch piece Parmesan rind

7 ounces butternut squash, cubed

5 ounces kale, stems removed and chopped

Two 15-ounce cans great Northern beans, undrained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Shaved Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into an 8-quart stockpot over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Decrease the heat to low, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the carrots, celery, onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, sage, rosemary and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Add the water, soy sauce and Parmesan rind, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to low, add the squash and kale, cover and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Return the mushrooms to the pot along with the beans, honey and red wine vinegar and cook until all is heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the cheese rind and serve warm with shaved Parmesan.

Serve with hearty whole grain bread and a green salad.

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Spice-Brined Honey Lemon Chicken

pepper-chicken-oh-l

Yes, I practice Zen and yes, I eat meat.

I’ve tried being a vegetarian. Heck, I was even a vegan for a few weeks. I didn’t gain clarity. Instead, my hair starting falling out.

I went to my Teacher with my plight. He told me it’s all about intention and gratitude and that even the Dalai Lama eats chicken. So I’ve got that going for me.

I think the Dalai Lama would like this recipe.

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 teaspoons coriander seeds

8 cups water

1 cup Kosher salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup honey

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

1 cup water

One 4- to 5-pound roasting chicken

Directions

To brine the chicken: Put the 1 tablespoon black peppercorns and 2 teaspoons coriander seeds into a saucepan and toast over medium-low heat, swirling the pan, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the water and the salt, raise the heat to medium-high, and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 6 cups water and the red pepper flakes. Let cool to room temperature.

Rinse the chicken well under cold water. Transfer to a large sturdy plastic bag or pan just large enough to hold it. Pour the brine over the chicken, making sure it is completely immersed. Refrigerate overnight.

Mix honey, lemon zest and juice until combined. Melt butter and whisk in until smooth. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.

Position a rack in a roasting pan. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels and set it on the rack in the pan. Let the chicken come to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coarsely crush the remaining black peppercorns and coriander seeds and add to honey lemon mixture. Stir in the rosemary and sage.

Pat the chicken again with paper towels to make sure it is completely dry. Brush the honey/lemon/pepper/ spice mixture evenly over the surface of the chicken, coating the whole bird. Return to the rack in the pan and pour 1 cup of water into the pan.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325°F and continue roasting until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Add water 1/2 cup at a time to the pan if it starts to dry out. Let the chicken stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Serve with steamed broccoli and wild rice.

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Honey French Toast

french toast

It occurs to me that I have sadly neglected posting honey recipes for breakfast and brunch dishes. This is a serious oversight, considering honey has some of its best moments early in the day!

 I’ll begin making amends with this lovely recipe for one of my favorite dishes, Honey French Toast.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup half-and-half

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale French, Italian, brioche or challah bread

4 tablespoons butter

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour egg mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into egg mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with honey, maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Or if you’re really feeling decadent, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey. (preferably Graeter’s ice cream!)