Nectar of Ladue

food made with honey
Cooking With Honey

Favorite Honey Recipes

from friends of Nectar of Ladue

Baked Honey Custard
contributed by Andy

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

PREHEAT: oven to 350 degrees

BLEND:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/8 tsp. salt

ADD: 3 well-beaten eggs

BLEND IN: 1/2 tsp. vanilla

DUST: with grated nutmeg

Either pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for an hour or more;
Or,
Pour the mixture into individual custard cups; Place the cups in a pan of hot water on a rack or in a heavy ceramic baking dish and bake for 20 - 30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a knife near the edge of the cup... if the blade comes out clean, it's done. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.

Honey-Lemon Muffins
contributed by Donna

Makes 10.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup margarine, melted
  • blueberries or nuts (optional)
Method

Spray muffin cups with nonstick vegetable coating or line them with paper bake cups; set aside. Stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center. Combine egg, honey, lemon peel, lemon juice, and margarine; add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add blueberries or nuts if desired. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from pans.

Serve warm.

Other Honey Recipes

The Internet is a fertile source for honey recipes. For example, the National Honey Board provides honey recipes for any occasion. Links to recipes for the delicacies shown in the top banner are as follows, from left to right:

Substituting Honey for Sugar

In recipes that don't call for honey, it can often be substituted for white sugar to good effect; honey adds a distinctive flavor according to its floral source, promotes moisture retention, and contributes to the formation of a golden brown crust. Successful substitution may require experimentation because honey and sugar can effect the structure and texture of baked goods differently. Each case may require different adjustments. Consider the following guidelines when replacing part or all of a recipe's white sugar with honey:

1. USE LESS: Honey is sweeter than table sugar, so less may be required - typically 1/2 to 1/3 the volume of the sugar it replaces. (Tip: Coating the surface of the measuring cup lightly with vegetable oil will facilitate the transfer of the honey.)

2. REDUCE LIQUIDS: In recipes that don't call for honey, consider reducing other liquid ingredients by about 1/4 cup for every cup of honey to balance the liquid introduced with the honey. Alternatively, if there are no other liquids to be spared, the addition of two tablespoons of flour (in recipes that call for flour) for each cup of honey may compensate for the added liquid.

3. NEUTRALIZE: Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of substituted honey to neutralize its acidity; Baking processes such as browning are sensitive to acidity.

4. REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE: Consider lowering the oven temperature by as much as 25 degrees to avoid over-browning of crusts; honey contains sugars that undergo browning reactions at a lower temperature than white sugar.

To Submit a Favorite Recipe...

If you would care to share a favorite honey recipe here, you are welcome to submit it at: Contact Nectar of Ladue.