honey

#BundtBakers: Honey

~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments
BundtBakers

Honey is the most used condiment in our household. We go through a honey bear in two weeks. And at any farmer’s market we attend, we’ll be walking away with some local honey. Needless to say, I was excited to see honey as the theme for this month’s #BundtBakers post. I almost didn’t participate this month because of all of the major life events going on (moving from FL to OH and having a baby), but I couldn’t skip out on making a honey bundt!

I even have an adorable honey pot from Le Cruset that we pour store bought honey into. I bought this honey pot as an impulse buy because it made me think of Winnie-the-Pooh. I have a slight obsession with Winnie-the-Pooh. I learned how to read because of a Winnie-the-Pooh “read-along” cassette tape, I own every character stuffed animal, I had Winnie-the-Pooh sheets until I went to college (pretty sure my parents saved them for me too), and my friends threw me a wonderful Winnie-the-Pooh themed baby shower.

What does Winnie-the-Pooh have to do with my bundt? Everything! My mom bought me a Winnie-the-Pooh cookbook and today’s recipe(s) come from it!

Hipy Papy Bthuthdth Thuthda Bthuthdy Cake

Ingredients for cake:

  • 1/2 C butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 C flour, sifted
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract

Ingredients for honey chocolate icing:

  • 3 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 9 tbsp butter
  • 6 tbsp honey

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and honey. Add egg yolks, one at a time.
  3. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Add half of the milk and the almond extract and mix until combined. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and remaining milk, finish with the last of the dry ingredients.
  5. In a bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff. Gently fold into the cake batter.
  6. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool 5 minutes before removing from the bundt pan. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
  7. Make the icing: In a double boiler, melt together the icing ingredients. Frost cake. Keep refrigerated until 20 minutes before serving.

*These recipes come from The Pooh Cook Book by Virginia H. Ellison*

Honey Bundt Cake

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL tofoodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the #bundtbakers homepage.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Honey Bundt Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze by Beatriz at I love Bundt Cakes

Honey Glazed Blackberry Cornmeal Bundt Cake by Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Pound Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days

A Taste of Honey by Margaret at Tea and Scones

Honey Caramel Apple Bundt Cake by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas

Honey Whiskey Mini Bundt Cakes with Honey Whiskey Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Honey Almond Bundt Cake by Terri at Love and Confections

Honey Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake by Lauren at From Gate to Plate

Whole Wheat Honey Spiced Apple Breakfast Bundtlettes by Laura at The Spiced Life

Honey Bunny Bundt Cake by Teri at The Freshman Cook

Honey Baba ah Rhum by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Orange Hazelnut Cake by Zainab at Blahnik Baker

Honey Banana Bundt by Jane at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

 Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Vanilla Honey Roasted Pecans

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

April 14th is National Pecan Day.

I’ve been wanting to try using the honey we brought back from Hawaii and after a trip to the Marietta Square farmer’s market in Atlanta where we inhaled Angel Pecans from Ye Olde Christmas and Candy Shoppe I knew that roasted nuts in honey would be a great way to utilize the Hawaiian honey. But first, I needed to do test runs with cheaper products.

National Pecan Day was an excellent excuse to try it out. I already had pecans in the pantry and my friend Tara of Tara’s Multicultural Table gave us vanilla bean infused honey for Christmas. I happily used that, roasted the pecans in the oven, and tossed with a little powdered sugar.

Vanilla Honey Roasted Pecans

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 C vanilla bean infused honey
  • 1 1/2 C pecan halves
  • 1/8 – 1/4 C powdered sugar

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place honey in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 20 seconds.
  3. Toss pecans in honey. Place pecans in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  4. Remove pecans from baking sheet and allow to cool in a single layer. Toss in powdered sugar, to taste.

Honey Roasted Pecans

For other nut recipes, check out my Sugar and Spiced Nuts, Pecan Pie, or Pecan Crusted Salmon.

Eating the Bible: Journey On

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Today I am taking a very liberal response to my Lenten call to cook through Eating the Bible: Over 50 Delicious Recipes to Feed Your Body and Nourish Your Soul.

I saw that Rena had a recipe for Trail Mix to accompany her study of Numbers 33:1-2 during which the journey from Egypt to Israel is detailed.

Today, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday, marks the start of Holy Week in the Catholic Church. On Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem the week before his crucifixion. According to the Bible He was greeted by crowds placing palm branches along his path.

I thought that her Trail Mix would be a fun way to prepare for the journey of holy week ahead. During this week we celebrate Holy Thursday, the Last Supper, Good Friday, the Crucifixion of the Lord, and of course Easter Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead.

This week is also the last to survive without chocolate, or whatever other vice you gave up for Lent. So, make a healthy snack and power through!

Instead of Rena’s trail mix I made these Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls – a healthier way to get your sweet tooth fix and a natural boost of energy.

Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 C peanut butter
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 C instant oats
  • 1/4 C golden flaxseed meal
  • 1/2 C raisins

Steps:

  1. In a microwave safe bowl combine peanut butter and honey. Microwave for twenty seconds.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
  3. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  4. Form into balls.

*This recipe is adapted from Miss Candiquick at http://blog.candiquik.com/cinnamon-raisin-energy-bites/*

Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

recreatedbysrc

Eating the Bible: To the Manna Born

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

And the house of Israel named it manna, and it was like a white coriander seed, and its taste was like a wafer of honey. Exodus 16:31

Manna was a gift from heaven, but it required some work to turn it into something edible. The Torah provided instructions regarding how much manna could be gathered per person per day. Including the limitation that manna could not be kept overnight. This means that you could only gather what was needed for a day.

I think this is where “…Give us this day our daily bread…” comes from in the Our Father prayer. In this prayer we are asking the Lord for only that which we need. We must remember that “this day” refers only to our time on Earth. After reaching the afterlife we won’t need Earthly sustenance.

Honey Coriander Manna Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 C warm water
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 3-4 C all-purpose flour

Steps:

  1. Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Allow to sit 5 minutes.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine egg, honey, spices, salt, and butter. Add in the yeast mixture.
  3. Stir in flours 1 C at a time.
  4. Using the dough hook of stand mixer knead the dough until smooth.
  5. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
  6. Punch down the dough and divide in half. Knead each loaf again and place in separate loaf pans, or on baking sheets. Cover and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  8. Bake 30-40 minutes until golden.

*This recipe is adapted from Eating the Bible by Rena Rossner*

Honey Coriander Manna Bread

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Eating the Bible: Gifts of Contrition?

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Rena created beautiful chicken packages filled with pistachio and almonds to complement Genesis 43:11.

“And Israel their father said to them: If it be so, then do this: take from the best of the land in your vessels and bring the man a gift: a little balsam, a little honey, some gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.”

The definition of contrition is sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation.  The gifts given to Joseph from his brother were not gifts fit for a king, but rather a care package from home. The foods native to Israel are considered to be a symbol reminding Joseph of his betrayal; an effort to make him feel guilt.

Contrition is not a concept I agree with. And a God to be fearful of is not one I want to believe in. I can understand that religion and God is often used to impart “right” and “wrong”, especially on children, but I do not believe in using fear as a way to teach morality.

One of my favorite quotes is, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” by C.S. Lewis. And that philosophy is how I view God. I don’t make my decisions based on fear of God, I don’t do what I think it right because God would want it to be that way. I’d like to think that God is judging me on who I am, not who I am because of a fear. I think genuine actions are the most important.

Pistachio Almond Chicken Parcels

Ingredients:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 C ground toasted shelled pistachios
  • 1/2 C ground toasted almonds
  • 1/2 C plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 C honey, plus more for drizzling

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cut chicken breasts in half to create 6 thinner breasts.
  3. Combine the remaining ingredients.
  4. Spread 1-2 tbsp of nut mixture on each chicken breast. Roll chicken and place in a greased baking dish. Top with any remaining nut mixture and drizzle with honey. Bake 30-35 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Eating the Bible by Rena Rossner*

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The nut mixture would be great placed in crescent rolls too!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Salted Honey Popcorn

~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

I want to end this week of popcorn with one more sweet option for your Super Bowl spread.

This popcorn recipe is Stuart’s favorite and the one he requests whenever we pop some popcorn for movie night.

Salted Honey Popcorn

Ingredients:

  • canola oil, enough to coat bottom of pot
  • 1/2 C popcorn kernels
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp salted butter
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Steps:

  1. Put canola oil in pot over medium high heat along with 2-3 kernels of popcorn. Cover and stand by. Once you hear the kernels pop, add the 1/2 C of popcorn. Cover and cook over medium heat until popping slows. Gently shake the pot during the popping process so as not to burn the popcorn at the bottom. Remove from heat and remain covered until popping has ceased, unless you want to be pelted with popcorn. (If you have another method of popping popcorn, feel free to use it.)
  2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together butter and honey. Season with salt.
  3. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl. Pour the honey over top and gently mix until all the popcorn is coated with salty sweetness. (It won’t look like enough honey, but I assure you it is – keep mixing!)

*This recipe is adapted from Katrina at http://splashofsomething.com/2012/09/21/the-easiest-snack-youll-ever-make-salted-honey-butter-popcorn/*

Salted Honey Popcorn 1 Salted Honey Popcorn 4 Salted Honey Popcorn 2 Salted Honey Popcorn 3

Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

While I don’t really make official New Year’s resolutions, I am trying my best to make more balanced meals – protein, starch, and vegetable. (It’s the “and vegetbale” that I always forget to plan!)

This side dish goes with just about any protein you choose, and as proven on Budget Bytes, it’s cheap!

For just the two of us I halved the recipe. I wasn’t planning on having leftovers for lunch the next day so didn’t bother making more than we needed. The recipe I present to you today is the halved version, to serve two.

Honey Balsamic Carrots

Ingredients:

  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/8 C balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp butter

Steps:

  1. Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast carrots in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Be sure to flip them halfway through the cooking time.
  2. When there are ten minutes left on the timer, combine the honey and vinegar. Allow tot thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted.
  3. Toss carrots in the glaze and serve alongside the protein of your choice.

Glazed Carrots

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

The reason I love to cook is the same as any other chef and home-cook. I like to make people happy, and a great way to do that is through food. Just bring in a plate of cookies to the office and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

When I decide on a recipe, I’ve got one person’s interest on my mind – my husband’s. I know what type of flavors he likes and try to find something that will make him happy. This dish did just that.

“What are we having for dinner tonight?”

“Chicken and Pineapple Skewers with a Honey Chipotle sauce”

“You know me so well.”

Stuart is addicted to pineapple, he likes meat of any kind, is obsessed with honey, and enjoys chipotle spiciness. There’s no way this could go wrong. (And it didn’t!) If you’ve never had grilled pineapple, you really should try it – it brings out the sweetness of the fruit while toning down the tartness.

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze

Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 – 3/4 C honey, to taste

Steps

  1. Soak 10-12 bamboo skewers in water for 15-30 minutes.
  2. Assemble kebobs by alternating chicken and pineapple.
  3. Grill kebobs until chicken is cooked through.
  4. In a blender, puree chipotle peppers, mustard, oil, salt, and honey.
  5. Brush cooked kebobs with the glaze and reserve some for dipping.

*This recipe is adapted from http://bsugarmama.com/chicken-pineapple-skewers-with-honey-chipotle-glaze/*

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze 1

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze 2

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze 3

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

You’ve probably heard of Taco Tuesdays. In my household, we do Mexican Mondays. It allows for more versatility. It’s a culinary “tradition” that we’ve been doing for over a year and I’m impressed that I’ve been able to keep it fun and interesting. There are a few recipes that have become tried and true favorites and I will and do repeat them, but more often than not I’m finding something new to try.

These Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are a best seller – we’ll even have them any day of the week! If I’m entertaining family or friends, this is a simple go-to. And I haven’t gotten a single complaint yet! My mom’s cousin claims to hate honey, yet she cleared her plate.

The very first time I made this dish was after a vacation and my fridge and pantry were pretty empty. I did not have green enchilada sauce and knew that without tomatillos I wasn’t going to be able to make my own either. But, I found Emeril’s recipe for red enchilada sauce and had everything on hand to make that. Enchilada sauce is now a pantry staple, so I don’t bother making my own anymore. (But in a pinch I’ll always come back to Emeril’s recipe.)

The second time I made this dish, we had a crowd so I doubled the recipe. Because we loved it with red enchilada sauce, we decided to keep one casserole dish with red and with the other tried the green. I haven’t made it with green since! I’ve noticed that the red (medium heat) enchilada sauce creates a unique flavor profile with the chicken that keeps you coming back for more. But I urge you to try it both ways and see what works best for your family.

The recipe calls for cooked chicken and I have tried just about every preparation of cooked chicken with this dish. Honestly, my favorite is using grilled chicken, the extra flavor you get from the grill rounds out the dish perfectly. My quick go-to method is putting a whole chicken in the slow cooker, but you can easily pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store on your way home!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cooked shredded chicken
  • 6 tbsp honey
  • Zest 2-3 limes
  • juice 2-3 limes
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce (red or green)
  • 1/4-1/2 C heavy cream
  • 8 oz Mexican-blend shredded cheese
  • 8-10 soft taco sized flour tortillas

Steps

  1. Marinate cooked chicken in honey, lime juice, chili and garlic powders, and salt for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. In a measuring cup, whisk together enchilada sauce and cream. Pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom a 9×13″ baking dish.
  4. Assemble enchiladas with chicken and cheese (reserving some cheese for the top). Place seam-side down in the baking dish and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
  5. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbly.

*This recipe is adapted from Danelle at http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2012/04/honey-lime-chicken-enchiladas.html*

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Be prepared for many more Mexican-style recipes in the future!