Weekly Recipes

Honey Covered Apples, Popcorn Balls, and Pumpkin Seeds - Oh My!

It’s that time of year when the sun sets sooner and the breeze gets crisper... and we all know that Halloween must finally be here! This is also one of the craftiest times of the year, urging families of all kinds to cut, create, and glue their hearts out.  Steak knives and sharpie pens go missing as the faces of eerie jack-o-lanterns start to take form, while empty toilet paper rolls and fishing poles unveil hovering ghosts in the foyer.  We all know that reaching for that giant bag of overpriced assorted candies is the easiest go-to for Halloween trick-or-treaters but if you have a little more time this year, and an eye for creativity, try these wonderfully original hand-made treats that will make your house the favorite on the street!
 

1. Honey and Caramel Covered Apples

• Yield: 6 to 8 Caramel Apples (6 to 8 Servings)
• Prep: 5 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Ready In: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 6 medium apples (or substitute 8 small apples)
• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
•  natural red food dye (optional)
• 1/2 cup crushed pecans (preferably soaked and dried)
• 6 sticks or wooden dowels

Instructions

1. Whisk honey, cream, butter and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble, then immediately reduce the heat to medium. Stir in food coloring, adjusting the volume to match the intensity of color you like. 
2. Continue to whisk the caramel frequently to prevent scorching and to prevent it from bubbling up and out of of your saucepan. Continue to cook until the caramel reaches a temperature of 260 F (about 25 minutes). The caramel should be a rich brown or red-brown if you also used food coloring; the bubbles should be small and should uniformly cover the surface of the pan and the caramel should be thickened.
3. Prepare an ice bath. Then pour the hot caramel into a mixing bowl and place the bowl in the ice bath, taking care not to splash water into the hot caramel. Stir the caramel until it is uniformly cooled and it begins to thicken just a bit. 
4. Plunge a wooden stick or dowel into the core of your apples and roll them, one by one, in the caramel until uniformly coated. Roll them in chopped pecans and place them on a piece of parchment paper to cool completely before serving. To read more about this wonderful recipe from the NourishedKitchen.com, go to: http://nourishedkitchen.com/honey-caramel-apples/#ixzz2iy3Hz9k2 

2. Honey Caramel Corn Balls

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. honey (Cloister Honey: Wildflower)
  
• 3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 10 cups popped popcorn
• 2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups honey-roasted peanuts

Instructions
In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add sugars, honey, and corn syrup and cook to 300° stirring occasionally. Place popcorn in a lightly oiled bowl. Pour caramel over popcorn and toss to combine, using spatulas sprayed with cooking spray. When popcorn has cooled slightly but is not quite set, mix in salt and peanuts. With oiled hands, form into 2-inch balls, working quickly, to get all the popcorn balls made before the caramel sets! To read more about this wonderful recipe from the CherryTeaCakes.com, go to: http://www.cherryteacakes.com/2011/03/orange-honey-caramel-corn.html
 

3. Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

French Apple Tart with Honey

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Thank goodness, the fall season has arrived! It’s finally time to throw away those alfalfa sprouts, pour out those detox drinks, and put away those bathing suits. This is the time we all welcome in with open arms (and waistbands) warm pumpkin chai lattes, creamy cinnamon cheesecake bites, and brown sugar glazed hams. Yum! But with all the sugar this season’s known for, we need to stop and think about ways to use natural sugar. If we keep spoiling our appetite during the day, we’ll miss out on those savory dinner favorites like roasted garlic potatoes, butternut squash soup, and rosemary rack of lamb. So before you reach for that slice of pumpkin pie or cup of hot chocolate try reaching for some honey with this delightfully sweet French Apple Tart from theframedtable.com!

Stuffed Pancetta Burgers, Balsamic Fig Marmalade, and Chipotle Infused Honey

I can’t believe it’s already Labor Day weekend! Before we know it, stores will be riddled with festive Halloween costumes flung through the aisles. You’ll start to see sparkly stockings here and neon wigs there. But, besides Halloween, there are more costumes that the season of fall is best known for. Many of these jovial outfits are complete with colorful face paint, beer-soaked football jerseys, a foam finger, and of course, sweet and smoky barbecue sauce! There must be something about fall and the wintertime that makes dressing up so much more acceptable than any other time of the year. So while you’re kicking back in your recliner, sipping coffee from your company mug, and “sticking it to the man” in the most acceptable way possible, enjoy this Labor Day weekend with this modern barbecue slider recipe from Zestuous.com that’ll be perfect to pair with any other holiday this fall!

Yield: 6 burgers

Balsamic Fig Marmalade

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 peppadew peppers, diced
• 4 figs, diced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons peppadew juice (from jar)
• 2 tablespoons Cloister Honey Chipotle Infused Honey
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. course ground black pepper

Stuffed Pancetta Burgers

• 3 ozs. sliced pancetta
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. course ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 3 ozs. blue cheese or goat cheese
• 6 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• Butter

Instructions: Balsamic Fig Marmalade

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and garlic and sauté for 8 minutes. Add another tablespoon of butter and the remaining ingredients and cook down for about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes while you prepare the burgers.

Stuffed Pancetta Burgers

Heat the grill to medium-high. Dice the pancetta slices and mix in a large bowl with the beef, soy sauce, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Form into six equal size balls. Using your thumbs, press an indention in the center of each ball. Add a spoonful of blue cheese or goat cheese into the center. Carefully form the meat around the ball and smash into a patty. Grill over medium-high heat for 6 minutes. Flip and grill another 6 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest while you prepare the buns. Cut the rolls in half and butter each side. Grill over low heat, until golden brown. Place a patty on the bottom of each roll. Top with a spoonful of marmalade. Add the top bun and serve.

For more information about this recipe and great photos please visit: http://www.zestuous.com/2013/07/stuffed-pancetta-burgers-with-balsamic-fig-marmalade/.

 

Back to School Honey Snacks for Kids!

It's that time of year again when the summer heat is at its hottest, the electric bills are at their highest, and the air is filled with the excited energy of "back to school" time. The month of August means new haircuts, papers and pens, plastic bins and baggies, new flashy backpacks, and the latest lunch box $10 can offer. While the youthful tastes of today are as ever changing as a Disney channel soap opera, the classics never do. Nowadays, kids drool over fruity fruit rollups riddled with tongue tattoos, and mystery gushers with surprising sour-tastic flavors. But honey has been around since as early as 2100 B.C., and this insect byproduct still continues to impress! Check out these crafty recipes below that make making sweet snacks fun and healthy! For more information on these wonderful recipes, please visit: Healthy Snack for Kids.

Banana Cereal Pops (Perfect substitute for dessert after dinner)

• 2 bananas
• 1/4 cup of wildflower Cloister Honey
• 1/2 cup of cereals
• 4 popsicle sticks

Honey Fruitsicles (Great after playing in the heat) 

• 1/2 cup of fresh fruit bits
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of wildflower Cloister Honey
• some water
• popsicle sticks

Honey S’mores (A sweet weekend treat) 

• 6 2×2-inch graham crackers
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of wildflower Cloister Honey
• 3 marshmallows

Honey and Yogurt Shake (A healthy and refreshing breakfast)

• 1 cup of fresh milk
• 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup of sliced fruits (apple, banana, strawberries or whatever fruit your kids like)
• 1 cup of crushed ice
• 4 tablespoons of wildflower Cloister Honey

Peanut Butter, Honey and Strawberry Roll-up (Great for lunch, the modern PB&J)

• 1 slice of multi-grain bread
• 1 tablespoon of wildflower Cloister Honey
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• some diced strawberries

Remember, raw or unpasteurized honey should not be given to infants younger than 12 months! Want to know why? Check it out here: at Wholesome Baby Food.

The Bee's Knees Cocktail

Sunday, July 14th, 2013

The Bee's Knees Cocktail

This wonderful cocktail recipe is appropriated from http://postprohibition.com

I can count on one hand the amount of times that men and women alike have willingly discussed the same topic in poplar culture. Most often, this is because men are fascinated when honored athletes are caught using performance enhancement drugs and women are concerned with plastic surgeries, break-ups, and betrayals. However, once in a blue moon, Venus and Mars align to discuss the scandals of popular culture...together. That being said, the new Great Gatsby film directed by Baz Luhrmann is one of them. En lieu of F. Scott Fitzgerlad's wondrous novel and portrayal of the 1920's era during the prohibition, why not toast to its honor with a fancy cocktail? This Bee's Knees Cocktail is crisp, clean, and oh so "Gatsby". Set the scene at your next spring party with the "Bee's Knees Cocktail", Roaring Twenties attire, and songs by Jay-Z and Andre 3000 playing softly in the distance.

 

RECIPE

• 2 oz Bar Hill Gin
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz Cloister Honey: Vanilla Infused, simple syrup 1:1
• Garnish with a lemon twist

For more information about this recipe, please visit: http://postprohibition.com/recipes/bees-knees/ 

 

Authentic Mexican Sopapillas

Authentic Mexican Sopapillas

This wonderful recipe comes from Marye Audet at www.blisstree.com!

I may not be Mexican but my fascination with Frida Kahlo, Mariachi music, the movie Coco, and a mean guacamole have always made me feel like a fan of Mexican culture. Whenever I think of Mexican food I imagine beans, rice, salsa, corn chips, and tortillas - all salty foods and never any sweet ones. I have tried fried ice cream at a Mexican restaurant before (which was wonderful) but in terms of trying a traditional Mexican dessert, I have regretfully tried nothing. This is where the Mexican Sopapillas come into play... they are like fried puff pastry with a honey drizzle and topped with powdered sugar! (similar to Greek loukoumades recipe we featured a recipe on in the Fall).

Check out this recipe below by blisstree.com for a wonderful addition to your Cinco de Mayo party, disfruta!

Sopapillas

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

You have to serve them hot.  And you HAVE to eat all of them at that meal. When you drop them in the fryer be sure not to crowd them and only do about 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size.  As soon as the float to the top start spooning the hot oil over them to make them puff even more.  Turn them once and take them out of the oil when they are golden. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and shortening until it is crumbly. Stir in water and  mix until the dough is smooth. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes for the gluten to relax.  Meanwhile heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Roll out on floured board 1/8  thick. Cut into large-ish squares. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar or granulated sugar and serve hot with honey to pour in the hollow centers.

For more information about this recipe, please visit: 

http://www.blisstree.com/2008/08/29/food/authentic-sopapillas-for-your-sugar-fix/

Raw Macaroons {with our Vanilla Bean Infused Honey}

Saturday, April 20, 2013