Mom's Peanut Butter Honey Oat Treats

I've been bugging my mom to come up with recipes for this blog and these delightful treats are her latest invention.  We had them for "bezzert" at our regular Monday dinner get together.  "Bezzert" is the linguistic invention of my great nephew Sam--an ardent dessert aficionado--who began inquiring about the after dinner sweet options when he was but a wee lad. He's big enough now to pronounce "dessert," but "bezzert" remains the preferred word in our family.  It makes us smile every time we say it. Mom's Peanut Butter Honey Oat Treats are both chewy and crunchy--and couldn't be simpler!  They're a regular feature of Wood Family bezzerts! Thanks, Momma!

Mom's Peanut Butter Honey Oat Treats
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
3 cups oat cereal (e.g. Cheerios)

Line an 8x8 pan with wax or parchment paper. Place peanut butter and honey in a large mixing bowl and melt in the microwave--about 30 seconds  Stir in the oat cereal, completely coating the cereal with the peanut butter/honey mixture.  Press into the pan and place in refrigerator until hardened.  Cut into squares.  An easy and good-for-you snack (or bezzert!). Makes about 16.
 

Chewy Honey Oatmeal Cookies

I made this for a little party in one of my classes.  The students have been working hard on a service-learning project and we celebrated completing part of it with a pizza party--and some cookies!  These made quite a few (about 50) because they're small.  Another interesting element of the recipe is that the dough sits for awhile so that the oats can soften. If you try to make them right after you mix them, they'll be a bit soupy and hard to form.  I found the recipe on the Food52 website--a cooking website I should check out more often than I do!

Chewy Honey Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (the original recipe calls for quick-cooking; I used old fashioned)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup demerara sugar (could use turbinado or brown sugar)
1/3 cup honey
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (a lovely addition!)

Whisk the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.  In a larger bowl, whisk together the sugar, honey, butter, egg, egg yolk and extracts until smooth.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. (I let them sit for an hour because I used old fashioned oats.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Using a teaspoon, scoop and roll the dough into cookies about the size of a walnut.  Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until nicely browned at the edges.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

This recipe was originally published in 2004 in Gourmet Magazine, under the title "Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies." It now appears on the Epicurious website. I made them back in the day when I subscribed to Gourmet, and am happy to have rediscovered this recipe. They're a delicious treat--and fully approved during a "taste test" at Monday night dinner with Mom and Dad (thanks, Mom & Dad!). I followed the recipe almost to the letter (just added a bit more vanilla extract) and they came out perfectly.  It may be worth taking a look at the comments of other cooks on the Epicurious website, though.  Some complained that there isn't enough flour in the dough and the cookies spread too much, so recommend adding more flour (about 1/4 cup).  Others thought that the flavors weren't that strong, so recommend increasing the amount of cinnamon.  Still others left out the raisins and/or the walnuts. We thought the flavor was great.  The filling is simply 8oz of cream cheese mixed with 1/4 cup of honey.  Whether you make these little whoopie pies or not, the honey/cream cheese filling makes a great frosting for any carrot or spice cake!

Mini Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies
1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar 
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Filling:  8 oz. cream cheese, softened and 1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and put racks in upper and lower third of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or foil and then grease the sheets well. (Some complained about the cookies sticking too much. I used cooking spray to grease the sheets and didn't have any trouble.)

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat for a few minutes.  Using the lowest setting on the mixer, mix in the carrots.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Stir in the raisins and walnuts until just evenly distributed.

Place by generous, rounded tablespoon onto the cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart and trying to make them as even as possible so they'll be easy to pair when adding the filling.  Bake for 12-16 minutes, turning the sheets once during baking to promote even browning.  The cookies should be nicely browned and the tops should spring back when lightly touched.  Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets then place on cooling racks and cool completely.

Blend the cream cheese and honey thoroughly.  Take one cookie, spread the flat side with a heaping tablespoon, and sandwich another cookie on top, pressing a bit so that the filling squishes to the edges.  This recipe made 13 whoopie pies, each about 3 inches in diameter.
 

Homemade Honey Graham Crackers

 

So maybe making homemade Graham crackers isn't on your bucket list.  I get that!  :) But if you're a fan of Graham crackers, like I am (I often pack them to munch on at school), these lovely little biscuits are more than worth the few hours they take to make, and most of that time is unattended. They not only have a fairly short list of ingredients, but they're also really tasty. I would not, however, call them health food, though Graham crackers were originally invented to be just that.

 

According to a fascinating article in The Atlantic Monthly, Graham crackers are named for their inventor, Sylvester Graham, who may be one of America's first "health nuts." A 19th century evangelical minister, Graham fretted that the meat-rich American diet with its growing reliance on white flour fueled what he thought was its greatest health threat: sexual desire. To ward off those unhealthy desires, he advocated a plain diet of vegetables and whole grains. The original Graham cracker was a tasteless whole wheat biscuit. According to the article, some consider him to be "one of the fathers of the American vegetarian movement." And in fact, the article notes that Graham's greatest contribution to the American diet may not be Graham crackers, but breakfast cereal.  John Harvey Kellogg was a Graham disciple, who developed granola as a "Grahamite cereal."  

 

A quick look at the ingredients list on a box of 21st century Graham crackers includes "artificial flavor," soybean oil and "DATEM," a dough conditioner that staves off staleness.  This recipe for homemade honey Graham crackers skips all that stuff. I still wouldn't call them health food, though!  The recipe, with just a few tweaks from me, comes from the Good Housekeeping website.

Homemade Honey Graham Crackers

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup almond milk (or whatever kind of milk you prefer)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons honey

Whisk flours, baking soda, salt & cinnamon together and set aside. Stir milk and vanilla together and set aside.  In a mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and honey until light and fluffy, about three minutes, scraping sides as needed.  Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat well.  Scrape down bowl, add 1/2 milk mixture and beat.  Continue alternating flour and milk mixtures--ending with the final 1/3 flour mixture.  Take half of the dough, form into a disk, and roll out to 1/8th thickness between two sheets of parchment paper.  Do the same with the other half.  Place rolled dough and parchment paper onto cookie sheets and refrigerate for an hour.  Remove from the refrigerator and cut into desired shapes. (I used a fluted pizza cutter; you could use a cookie cutter or even a knife.) With a fork, prick the crackers in several places.  Return to the fridge for another 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crackers out so that they aren't touching--they won't spread much, so they don't need to be too far apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the pans half way through for even browning.  This recipe makes several--6 or 7--dozen crackers, depending on how big you cut the crackers. Store well sealed and they'll keep for at least a week. They'd make a great base for some desire-evoking s'mores, though don't tell Sylvester Graham!

Rich, Delicious Pecan Caramel Squares

This recipe came recommended from Pat C., a dear friend, honey (and honey bee!) enthusiast, and community volunteer extraordinaire.  We first met Pat at Hollow Oak Land Trust meetings and reconnected with her as volunteers at the B.F. Jones Memorial Library in Aliquippa.  She's a marvel!  The original recipe is from Martha Stewart, whose recipes are the epitome of perfection. Yet--couldn't help myself--I fiddled with the recipe a bit.  For starters, I halved it, figuring it wouldn't be good for my hips to keep a 9x13 pan of these around for too long.  I also skipped the granulated sugar in the original recipe, figuring the brown sugar and honey were enough sweetness.  I also added a bit of vanilla extract to the cookie base just because. And finally, I cut them a bit smaller, which makes them less like bars and more like squares.

These were a big hit for dessert at our weekly Monday night dinner at my parents' house. I think my dad may have had three of them that night!  My sister said they would make a great cookie swap recipe-they're unique, pretty, and yummy!  Everyone took some home. Thanks for the recipe, Pat!

Pecan Caramel Squares
FOR THE COOKIE BASE:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

FOR THE FILLING:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush an 8x8-inch baking pan with melted butter--or spray with oil. Line with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on all sides. Butter or spray parchment.

Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in salt. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until dough begins to come together in large clumps.

Press dough about 1/3-inch thick into prepared pan.(I used the base of glass to press it in firmly.) Pierce the dough with a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes.  Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Cool base completely.

When cookie base is cool, place filling ingredients (including pecans) in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; pour filling into the cooled crust. I fiddled with the pecans a bit to make sure they covered the whole cookie base.

Bake until filling bubbles, about 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, carefully use the parchment to lift the cookies from the pan to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-1 -inch bars. This recipe makes about--I don't know--about 16 squares?  Store well wrapped at  room temperature for up to 1 week.

Honey Chocolate Brownie Bites

With back to school upon us, I thought a cookie for lunch boxes or after school snack might be in order. These cookies are about as close as you can get to eating a "raw" cookie dough cookie (without it actually being raw). They are very soft and have the consistency of a chewy brownie.  They were a big hit among potluckers dining here a few weeks ago.  The recipe comes from the July 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. The original recipe, called "Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites," includes 7 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped, but as I've mentioned on the blog before, Robert hates chocolate chips, so I left them out.  No one missed them and truth be told, I think the chips would have taken these cookies over the top (and not in a good way).   The cookies puff up and their tops crackle--a sign they're ready to pull out of the oven.  When they cool, they flatten back down again.

Honey Chocolate Brownie Bites
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 325.  In a medium size bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, soda and salt and set aside. Beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until very fluffy--about 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the honey and beat again until fluffy and light.  Lower the speed and slowly add the flour/cocoa mixture until very well combined.  If you're adding chocolate bits, now would be the time to do that.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (this will make them easier to form into small balls).

Take about a teaspoon of dough and roll it into a ball--aiming for a little less than the size of a walnut.  Drop the balls into the granulated sugar and roll again.  Place the sugar-coated balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch apart.  Bake for about 9 minutes until the tops are puffed and cracking and just set.  Cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or so then transfer to a cooling rack.  Makes about 30 and the cookies will keep at room temperature in an air-tight container for about three or four days.

Recipes for July 4th! Honeyed Three Bean Salad & Honey Cheese Cake Squares

Honeyed Three Bean Salad

I'm trying to make up for my two-month hiatus as a blogger by posting a few recipes at a time. The first is a take on the classic three bean salad, with a few twists--including using edamame (soy beans) as one of the three beans.  Like its classic cousin, this salad a bit on the sweet side--but it's delicious and refreshing and sure to please at a July 4th cook out.  The poppy seeds make it special.  You could skip the edamame for classic green beans instead.  If you do, don't make the salad too far in advance as the vinegar in the dressing will turn the green beans a dull grey.  The inspiration for this salad came from a recipe in a May/June 2007  issue  of Vegetarian Times.

The second recipe, for Honey Cheese Cake Squares, is one that I pulled from an April 2003 issue of the now defunct Gourmet Magazine.  Recipes from Gourmet are all now available on Epicurious. The honey cheese cake squares were a hit for dessert this weekend when my cousin, his new wife and son were visiting from North Carolina (they're adorable newly weds!). The honey in this recipe really shines through--and a lighter honey I think works best.

Need more recipe ideas for your July 4th cookout or family get together?  Check out a past post for Memorial Day Picnic Recipes (including honey baked beans and grilled skirt steak).

Three Bean Salad

1 10-oz package frozen shelled edamame beans (2 cups) 

1 15-oz can dark kidney beans, drained

1 15-oz can navy beans, drained

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced (about 1/4 inch)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Cook edamame according to package direction and then immediately put in ice water to cool and stop cooking.  Drain and put in a large bowl along with drained kidney and navy beans.  Add red onion and celery to bowl and toss. In a jar (or food processor), combine the vinegar, honey, mustard, oil and poppy seeds and shake (or process) until well combined.  Pour over beans and toss to evenly distribute.  Taste and season with salt & pepper.  Let the flavors meld for a few hours and up to one day.  Serve cold.  Makes about 8 servings

HONEY CHEESE CAKE SQUARES

Makes about 24 1 1/2 inch squares

For the crust:
6 whole graham crackers, crumbled
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup light (spring or summer) honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Pulse the graham crackers, sugar and butter in a food processor.  Press mixture evenly over the bottom of a 8x8 square baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool for about five minutes.

For the filling, blend the cream cheese, egg, milk, zest, lemon juice and honey in the cleaned food processor.  Pour filling over crust and bake in the middle of the oven until the filling is set (and a bit puffed)--about 30 minutes.  Cool and then chill for at least three hours.  When fully chilled, cut into squares--they'll still be a bit rough around the edges, though--just like most of us! :)

Honey Cheese Cake Squares

Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cookies

When my sisters and I were little, we'd beg my mother to make boiled chocolate cookies, which were more like candy than cookies and made with cocoa and oats.  They were the perfect way to satisfy a sweet tooth when we didn't want to wait for cookies to bake.  These flourless chocolate coconut cookies remind me a bit of them--though these are baked and not boiled.  They're rather candy-like in a chewy way and they come together very quickly.  I did have to wait 10 minutes for them to bake, but it was worth it!  I'd make one tweak to the recipe:  the cookies were a bit too big and they'll be smaller the next time I make them.

I found this recipe on a blog called Healthful Pursuit, which is the creation of Leanne Vogel, a holistic nutritionist.  Though I wouldn't make a meal of these, the basic ingredients--cocoa, honey, coconut, eggs and vanilla extract--make them at least seem like they're good for you. Make up a batch for your Easter basket!

Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cookies

1 cup coconut (I used unsweetened, but you could use sweetened if that's all you have)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.  Using a teaspoon, drop cookies onto a cookie sheet, forming cookies that are about the size of a walnut.  Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies are firm to the touch and can be easily lifted from the sheet.  Makes about 12-15 cookies and the recipe is easily doubled.

BONUS RECIPE!  MOM'S BOILED COOKIES!

Well, I couldn't mention Mom's Boiled Cookies and not give you the recipe. These cookies don't have a lick of honey in them, but they're very good!  (Mom's secret ingredient is peanut butter.)

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups rolled oats

In a sauce pan, mix sugar, cocoa and milk until well combined. Add butter.  Place pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a rapid boil, stirring to mix in butter as it melts.  Boil rapidly for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and vanilla and stir.  Add oats and mix until well combined.  

Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper. Cool.  Makes enough for three sisters and a mom! :)

Delicious Honey Cranberry Pinwheels

Although it's Halloween, there is nothing scary about these cookies, folks!  In fact, a case could be made that these cookies are actually good for you (well...perhaps we should say that they're not as bad for you).  The dough includes whole wheat flour and canola oil and, according to the recipe makers, they clock in at only about 54 calories a cookie.  The recipe comes from the Eating Well website where it has received rave reviews.  I see why--they're tasty and chewy and they make a nice impression.  Robert gives them his thumbs up!  They were also well-received at the Friends of the B.F. Jones Memorial Library annual wine and cheese fundraiser last Saturday. :)

This makes a very soft dough especially for rolling, yet the canola oil makes the dough less sticky than you'd expect.  Refrigerating the dough also makes it more manageable. Don't let the long list of ingredients deter you.  The recipe isn't that complicated to make.

Honey Cranberry Pinwheels

Filling:

1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries

1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (could use orange zest)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom (or allspice)

Dough

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom (or allspice if you used it in the filling)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup honey

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons low fat milk

2 1/2 teaspoons lemon (or orange) zest

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For filling:  Combine all of the ingredients in a non-reactive* pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil.  Let boil about five minutes until the fresh cranberries pop and soften.  Remove from heat and cool.  Place in a food processor and process the filling until finely ground. Place in refrigerator while you make the dough.

For dough:  Whisk the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda and spices in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, honey, eggs, milk, zest and extracts and beat well.  Stir in half of the flour mixture to incorporate then add the other half. (If you're using a mixture, switch to a wooden spoon when you add the second flour portion.)  Stir to thorough combine, but don't over-mix.  Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to make the dough easier to work with.

To form the cookies:  Take 1/2 of the chilled dough and place between two sheets of waxed paper (about 12 x 18 inches long).  Roll out dough into a 12x15 inch rectangle.  Place the rolled out dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.  This will make it easier to spread the filling on the dough.  Remove top sheet of waxed paper and spread 1/2 of the cranberry filling over the dough--it will be thin (I used my hands to get the filling to the edges.  With the long end parallel to the counter, use the waxed paper the dough is resting on to help you roll the dough into a tight, round log.  Place the log on a clean sheet of waxed paper, roll it up and twist the ends to make the log as tight as possible.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least four hours (and up to three months**).  Repeat with the other half of the dough and filling.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Unwrap the roll and, using a long serrated knife, slice the cookies into 1/4 inch wide slices, turning the log as you slice to keep the cookies as round as possible.  Place the slices on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Makes about 90 cookies.

*Non-reactive pans are stainless steel or enamel--not aluminum (or copper!)

**If you're freezing for an extended time, don't defrost before slicing the cookies.

Honey Chocolate Shortbread Ribbons

I'm still in the midst of my cookie baking extravaganza here.  The recipe for these honey chocolate shortbread ribbons is from the National Honey Board, where I get a lot of great recipe ideas.  I have to confess that these aren't Robert's favorite.  The recipe calls for orange peel, which adds a tang to the dough that Robert isn't that fond of (he ate a few of 'em though!).  You could skip the peel if you'd prefer.  In that case, I might be tempted to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the dough, just to kick up the flavor a bit.

Honey Chocolate Shortbread Ribbons
1 cup butter, softened
2/3rd cup  honey
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Cream the butter and gradually drizzle in the honey, beating until light and fluffy.  Add the orange peel and beat to incorporate thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder and then stir into the honey-butter mixture, combining well.  Remove about 1/3 of the dough to another bowl and add the melted chocolate to it, combining well.

Line one 9 inch square pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper, letting the paper hang out of the sides so that you'll be able to lift the dough out once it hardens. Flatten the chocolate mixture into the loaf pan and the remaining dough into the square pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the 9 inch pan and cut in half.  Place the chocolate dough in the middle of the two halves and press lightly but to be sure the layers hold together.  With a large, sharp knife, cut the block lengthwise to make two logs.  Wrap each with wax paper and then with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least four hours (or freeze up to three months).

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice the logs about 1/8th to 1/4th inches wide and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 7 to 8 minutes until lightly browned.  Makes about four dozen cookies.

And stay tuned!  The recipe for Robert's favorite honey cranberry pinwheel cookies coming soon!

Honey Almond Rugelach

Though I haven't been posting much on the blog recently, get ready for a run of cookie recipes!  The Friends of the B.F. Jones Memorial Library annual wine and cheese is Saturday, October 27 and I've been making a bunch of cookies in preparation.  These almond rugelach cookies are classic--not too sweet--and the hint of honey in the filling really comes through.  They're one of my favorite cookies to make.  This recipe comes from a small cookbook published by the National Honey Board in 1994 called Sweetened with Honey the Natural Way. The recipe is also available on the National Honey Board's website--click on the link.

And stay tuned!  Recipes for shortbread-like honey chocolate ribbons and some delicious cranberry pinwheels will appear in future posts!

Honey Almond Rugelach
1 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons honey, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries, chopped (I used cherries)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add three tablespoons of honey and mix well. Add the flour, stirring until the dough comes together.  Form into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate for at least two hours.

In a small bowl, combine the almonds and chopped cherries. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of honey over them and mix well.

Divide the dough into fourths and roll one piece into about a 9-inch circle.  Combine two tablespoons of honey and the lemon and mix well.  Brush the dough with the honey-lemon mixture.  Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over the surface. Spread about 1/4 of the almond/cherry mixture over the surface.  Cut the circle into 8 wedges.  Starting with the wide end, roll up each wedge and then curve the cookie to make a crescent shape.  Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

You can freeze these cookies unbaked.  Thaw them out before baking.

Chewy Pecan Honey Cookies

We've been major blog slackers here at SteffesWood Apiary.  Teaching and flying are occupying us a lot these days.  I had a chance to make these delicious cookies last weekend, though.  I'm testing out cookie recipes for the annual Friends of the B.F. Jones Library wine and cheese fundraiser on October 27.  The fundraiser always includes an elaborate and delicious cookie table and I wanted find some honey-based cookies to add to the offerings.  These are a keeper.  They're chewy, have a lot of great honey flavor and a nice little crunch from the pecans. I wasn't so sure about the recipe at first because it doesn't include any eggs--but these are delicious and have a wonderful texture.  I highly recommend them!


Chewy Pecan Honey Cookies
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the honey and cream well. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, finishing by hand if needed, trying not to over mix.  Stir in the pecans.

Using about one teaspoon, form the dough into balls and place on the prepared cookie sheets. (You can chill the dough for about 10 minutes if it's very soft--don't chill for much longer, though, since the honey will harden making it hard to form into balls.)  Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown and set.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Honey Cashew Butter Cookies

Looking for a cookie to put out for Santa?  You could do worse than these honey cashew butter cookies, adapted from a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens 2011 Christmas Cookie book.

1/2 cup roasted cashew butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup summer (amber) honey
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4ths cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cashews (optional)

In a large bowl, beat cashew butter and butter until thoroughly blended and fluffy.  Add the sugar and honey and combine thoroughly.  Add the egg and mix well.  Stir in the vanilla extract and combine.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder and salt.  Add this to the cashew butter mixture, and mix to combine well.  Add the chopped cashews if using.  Cover and chill dough for about 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  (If you decide not to use parchment, no need to grease the cookie sheets.)  This is a very soft dough, so if after 30 minutes of chilling, it's still difficult to form into balls, add another 1/8th to 1/4th cup of flour.  Flatten the balls by making criss crosses with the tines of a fork dipped in flour.  Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and taking care not to over-bake.  Let cool for about a minute on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.  Store at room temperature and tightly covered for up to five days, or wrap well and freeze for up to three months. Makes about 50 cookies

Celebrating Lawrenceville's Joy of Cookies Tour

In honor of Lawrenceville's Annual Joy of Cookies Tour this weekend, here's a recipe for honey almond biscotti to add to the cookie fest.  (Also see our previous post for some great honey ginger bread cookies!)  If you head to the Joy of Cookies Tour, be sure to check out The Gallery on 43rd Street.  Proprietor, Mary Coleman, offers a wonderful array of local artists' works and is selling our honey--highlighted in a recent I Heart Pittsburgh blog post!

Biscotti are difficult to pull off when honey is in the recipe because honey tends to soften baked goods, especially after a few days.  If you have a biscotti recipe that uses lots of sugar, it’s probably wise not to try to replace the sugar in that recipe with honey.  This recipe works well, though, and the flavor is fantastic.  You can also use this recipe as a base and experiment with other flavors. It’s adapted from Ann Harmon’s “Home Harmony” column in Bee Culture (June 1998).

HONEY ALMOND BISCOTTI

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup honey (basic summer honey works well)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons anise seeds (sounds like a lot but is perfect amount!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup slivered almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease one cookie sheet. Cream butter and honey until well-blended and light lemony color.  Add eggs one at a time and combine well.  Add vanilla and fully incorporate.

Whisk flour, cinnamon, anise, salt, baking powder and baking soda together and slowly add to batter.  Mix well.  Stir in almonds.

On a floured board, divide dough in half and form each half into 10x3x1 inch logs.  Place on cookie sheet, about 4 inches apart.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch.  Lower oven temp to 300 and cool logs for 5-10 minutes.  Slice on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices and place slice side down on cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Flip cookies and bake 10 minutes more.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Store in a well-sealed tin.

Best-Ever Honey Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

The honey in this recipe keeps the cookies nice and chewy, yet they also have enough structure to hold up to any decoration you pile on them.  We'll post photos we get another chance to bake them!

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup honey (summer honey works well here, but fall honey is also good)

1/4 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk first seven ingredients together (flour, soda, salt and spices).  Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix well.  Add honey & molasses and mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour. This makes a soft dough, which will need additional flour for rolling.  Roll out on floured surface to about 1/4" and cut into desired shapes. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.  To make sure the cookies retain their fancy shapes, you can freeze them for 15 minutes before baking. (nb: Cookie testers Jeff & Laurie note this doesn't seem to make much difference.)  Bake 10-15 minutes, rotating pan half way through. The cookies should be nicely (but lightly) browned on the edges.   Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two before transferring to cooling rack.  Cool completely before decorating.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on how big your cookie cutters are.

Healthy--and Delicious!--Back-to-School Granola Bars: Two Versions

These two super-easy recipes are adapted from Honey for Health and Beauty, which I reviewed in a previous post (click on the link for the review).  They both are takes on granola bars.  The first is a classic, chewy-crunchy bar without flour or eggs.  The second is a bit more cookie-like, and softer but still very much in the granola bar family.  Even though the Apricot Honey Oat Bars are softer, they're a bit less sweet and so my bet is that kids will prefer the classic Honey Granola Bar recipe.

Honey Granola Bars 
(In Honey for Health and Beauty, the recipe is called "Pack-Along Snack Bars.")
This recipe is not only easy, it's also easy to adapt.  Add 1/2 a cup of raisins, currants or other chopped, dried fruits.  Use walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts or sunflowers instead of (or in addition to!) almonds.  Toss in a handful of dark chocolate chips when you pull the granola out of the oven if you want to make it extra "healthy."  :)

3 cups uncooked rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup flaked coconut (I used unsweetened, but sweetened would work, too)
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup almonds (I used 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup walnuts)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the oats, coconut, wheat germ, nuts, cinnamon and salt.  In a separate bowl, blend oil, honey and vanilla, mixing well.  Stir honey mixture into dry ingredients and stir well to be sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated with the honey mixture.  Spread onto a 9x13 inch pan (no need to grease).  Bake, stirring at 10 minute, 20 minute, 25 minute and 30 minute marks for a total of 35 minutes.  Line a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan with aluminium foil and then grease the foil.  Press hot mixture into the jelly roll pan, pressing it firmly into the pan using a rolling pin.  (It will seem like the mixture won't fit at first, but does.  You also might question whether it will all hold together once it cools, but it does that, too!)  Cool and cut into squares.  Makes about 48, depending on how big you cut them.

Apricot Honey Oat Bars
You can make a super-lean version of these bars (suggestions are in parentheses).  Like the recipe above, this one is also easily adapted to ingredients you have on hand.  About 1/2 cup of nuts would be a nice addition, as would chocolate chips.  Swap out the dried apricots for another dried fruit--or use a mixture. Dried dates would be really good.  The apricot flavor dominates here, so whatever fruit you use will flavor these bars.

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt (or any plain yogurt--it's okay to use non-fat)
1 egg (or 2 egg whites), lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons butter, melted (or 3 tablespoons vegetable oil)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.  Pulse dried apricots in a food processor until finely chopped (or chop by hand).  Add the apricots, oats, wheat germ, flour, salt & cinnamon to a large bowl and toss to combine.  In a smaller separate bowl, stir the honey and yogurt together.  Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine well.  Mix in the melted butter, stirring well.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and  mix well.  Place in the prepared pan, spreading the mixture to fill in the corners and sides. Bake about 25 minutes until edges are brown and the center is firm.  Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.  Makes 15-20 bars.

Honey-Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

The chilly weather has brought out the baker in me.  These cookies were taste-tested by our niece Hillary and her friend, Brendan.  I had to grab the plate away to be sure I had a few left for my lunch the next day!  They're delicious, but they do have a texture that is...different.  These are not thin, chewy chip cookies, yet they're also not cake-y either.  They're thick, sturdy and chewy.  Hillary and Brendan say that a tall cold glass of milk for dipping really make these cookies sing!

1/2 cup honey (a nice amber summer honey would be best)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a bit extra for pressing the cookies down with a glass
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the honey, peanut butter, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and thoroughly combine.  Sift (or whisk) the flour, soda and salt together.  Add the flour mixture to the bowl and thoroughly combine with the peanut butter honey mixture. Stir in the chips so that they're evenly distributed throughout.  Roll dough into balls about the size of a walnut.  Surprisingly, the dough is not that sticky, so this is easy to do.  Evenly space on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Place a little flour in a small bow.  Dip a glass in the flour and then use the glass to press the cookie flat--about 1/2 inch thick.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully because the honey makes the bottoms brown quickly.  Makes about 48 cookies.