Honey Cloudy or Crystalized?
Most raw or unheated honey will at some point turn to sugar crystals. It is not an indicator of spoilage, impurity, age or quality. If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve, or place the honey container into near boiling water that has been removed from the heat.
Or use it one of these marvelous recipes!
Warning: Do not feed honey to infants under one year old.
Grandma Khoury’s Baklava
1 lb. filo dough
1/2 lb. unsalted melted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups chopped walnuts, pistachios or almonds
2 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
Honey Syrup
1 1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 whole cloves
Stick of cinnamon
Spread the filo dough on a buttered 9 1/2 X 13 inch pan, brushing each layer with butter. Half way through the layering, sprinkle the nuts and sugar on top. Continue layering the buttered filo on top. When done layering, make cuts diagonally in the dough and trim edges around the side of the pan (or tuck under and push down in around the edge).
Bake baklava for 25 minutes at 350, then raise heat to 450 degrees for 7- 15 minutes (depends on your oven).
While baklava is baking, mix honey syrup ingredients together and heat on medium to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Cool to room temperature and take out cloves and cinnamon stick.
When baklava is golden brown, remove from oven and pour cold syrup over the lines cut into the baklava so the syrup soaks through (not on top). Let sit for at least 30 minutes before cutting (good luck!). Store at room temperature.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
3 c rhubarb
2 c strawberry
2/3 c honey
4 T cornstarch
Mix together and pour into pie shell – put on top shell.
Bake 450 degrees for 15 min, reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 35-45 minutes till brown (cook time depends on your oven).
Honey Nut Granola
Melt:
½ c butter
½ c honey
Mix with:
4 c oatmeal
½ c sliced almonds
½ c pecans
½ c coconut
Divide into 2 pans – bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min until browned
When cool add:
½ c raisins
½ c golden raisins
Store in baggie or airtight container.
Dog Biscuits
Tested and approved by our rescue dogs Duke and Jack.
¼ c honey
¾ cup peanut butter
1 c milk
4 c flour
Mix together all ingredients in a mixer until well mixed. Roll or press into large pan and cut into bite size pieces with a pizza cutter, cookie cutter or knife. Bake 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes until lightly brown on the bottom. Cool on the counter overnight until hard and dry.
Amazing Banana Bread
Mix:
½ c applesauce unsweetened
¾ c honey
2 eggs beaten
3 mashed overripe bananas
Add
2 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Mix together and bake 350, 60-65 minutes. Makes 1 loaf
You will want to eat it right out of the oven – I just did…
Organic Power Bars
Check out the latest recipe for Organic Power Bars from Julie M. from Stillwater. They are amazing – 1/4 of the pan was gone before they even had a chance to cool! Thank you Julie! Happy Spring!
3 1/2 c. oats
3/4 c. raisins (opt.)
2/3 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. oat bran
3 T. flax seeds
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 c. organic coconut (sprinkle coconut on top if desired)
1 c. organic, raw almonds
5 T. organic butter melted
1 1/2 c. organic creamy peanut butter or almond butter
1 1/8 c. honey
2 c. chocolate chips
In large bowl, combine first 11 ingredients. Melt butter and mix with the peanut butter and honey. Combine all ingredients. Press mixture firmly into foil-lined 9×13 inch pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle chocolate chips over bars. Return to oven until chocolate is softened (about 2 minutes). Spread chocolate evenly over bars. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours). Cut into bars; wrap individually; store in refrigerator.
Honey Butter
1 pound butter
½ cup honey
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
Mix until smooth.
Honey White or Wheat Bread
1 1/8 cup water
1 T honey
1 T oil
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
3 cup flour (white or a combo of ½ white and wheat)
2 tsp yeast
Bake in bread maker according to manufacturer directions.
Honey Glazed Pear Upside Down Cake
¼ c honey
4 small or 3 large Bosc pears, peeled, quartered & cored
3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
1 c sugar
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 c flour
¼ tsp salt
½ c (1 stick) plus 1 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup sliced almonds
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In 9 inch ovenproof skillet like a cast iron (not nonstick) simmer honey until it begins to reduce, caramelize and darken in color, about 6-10 minutes. Do not let the honey burn, if it starts to smell burned turn off the heat. Arrange pears close together with the cut side down in a circular pattern, stem ends pointing toward the center. Simmer over medium heat, turning from one cut side to the other, until golden, about 10 minutes. Flip pears over to their curved side and scatter with thyme sprigs. Transfer skillet to oven and roast, uncovered, until very tender, about 25 minutes. While cooking, whisk together sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in eggs and vanilla and fold in flour and salt. Stir in ½ cup butter. When pears are soft, remove skillet from oven, discard thyme and brush edges of pears with remaining 1 T of butter. Pour batter over roasted pears and scatter with almonds over top. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Let cake cool for 30 minutes in pan. Run a spatula along edges of pan to loosen cake and carefully invert cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or cooled. Serves 6-8, although 4 have been known to eat one in sitting.
Lemon Ginger Honey Tea
Perfect for cold winter evenings around the fire or great for soothing a sore throat. As one friend said, “I kinda want to get sick just to drink this. But it is great all year round.”
Ingredients:
1 Lemon thinly sliced
Fresh Ginger – about 1 inch of a regular size root
Honey to fill jar
Directions:
Thinly slice lemon and about 1 inch of fresh ginger.
Alternate layers of lemon and ginger in a ½ pint jar.
Pour honey over lemon and ginger to top of jar.
Close jar and put in fridge
To serve – spoon about 1-2 tablespoons (or to taste) into mug and pour boiling water over it
Store in fridge for 2-3 months