I’ve talked about the superior flavour of Thai bananas, this is a snack that’s really healthy, just Thai bananas baked with honey (and only 1% of the total). Because these are fresh with little preservatives (honey is itself a natural preservative, and very little can grow in it), the shelf life is very short (compared to all the other snacks out there). The banana ends up being chewy with a honey flavour. Interesting, but I think I prefer the fresh banana.
I’ve seen mesquite pod meal now in quite a few places, before it was really unknown in Canada. I like the smell of the mesquite baking, it gives kind of a smokiness to the cookie. This is a variation on a honey based chocolate chip cookie recipe that is one of my favourites. This is the second of two desserts I baked today, with pistachios and cocoa nibs. The raw cocoa powder kind of disappeared, it certainly didn’t turn the dough brown; perhaps I had to add more.
Mesquite Pistachio Cocoa Nib CookiesPreheat oven to 375F/190C.
Combine flours, soda, cocoa powder and salt and whisk together.
Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla and honey.
Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture in two additions. Stir in cocoa nibs and pistachios.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies all golden all over.
Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a rack.
I made a more traditional version of this recipe earlier, substituting carob for cocoa and quinoa puffs for millet puffs. The recipe I took this from is called Cocoa Millet Chews, from Health by Chocolate by Victoria Laine, which contains a number of more healthy recipes that are made from chocolate. I mean more adult, in the sense of, I think these would be less likely to be eaten by young children; the adult ingredients are pistachios, cocoa nibs and currants. Thinking about it now, I could even have added some Frangelico to it, to make it even more “adult”. Otherwise, they still taste good, a chewy, crunchy bite; the cashew butter is tasty too. They were well received at work.
More “Adult” Carob-Quinoa ChewsHeat cashew butter and honey on medium heat or double boiler, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to bubble (about 2-3 minutes).
Take off heat and stir in vanilla.
Mix in sifted carob powder and puffed cereal. Add nuts and cocoa nibs and mix well. Cool several minutes.
Mold into balls. Cool on counter or in refrigerator until firm.
A new vendor at the Square One Farmer’s Market, or at least this product is new, Thames River Melons from Innerkip, Ontario, makes honey from melon blossoms. Melons is one fruit that requires bees to pollinate, so it’s perhaps a match made in heaven business-wise (pollinate your crop and sell the honey made from that). I don’t know what I expected this to taste like, melons?, but it is a good tasting honey, with a light flavour that is pleasant.
One of my favourite trees is the Linden, certainly when it blooms it smells wonderful. It is also called Lime Flower, and, opening this jar of honey for the first time, the waft of scent coming up smells exactly like standing next to a blooming tree on a hot day, where the scent surrounds you, and you breathe in its fragrance. OK, maybe not so intense, but it smells good. In reading about Linden Honey, there is therapeutic value to it, as much so as the Linden blossom tea, to strengthen the immune system, fight colds and lessen anxiety and stomach problems. It might even have a sedative effect (I'm thinking one should not eat it first thing in the morning, when one wants to wake up before going to work). The honey itself, spread on bread, had a delicate flavour, quite good.
I got this recipe out of a new chocolate cookbook, called "Health by Chocolate" by Victoria Laine, a take on Death by Chocolate, which implies that these recipes are good for you, rather than "Death". There is lots of evidence to indicate that Chocolate is good for you, has ingredients within that are healthy and healthful, I don't need another reason to eat it. The Death by Chocolate is not really Eat this and Die, but perhaps it might be "I love this so much I can die happy" or "this dessert is to die for". The recipes in this cookbook choose more healthy ingredients, substitutions for those high-fat, high-caloric ingredients, things like dates, nut butters, avocado and whole grains. This particular recipe turned out great, though I would say that the next time I make it, I would only add 1-1/2 cups of the puffed cereal, there was lots left over after fashioning the balls; no problem, I enjoyed the nutty-sweet puffed cereal as part of my breakfast. You can use cocoa powder for the chocolate, I used carob powder. Carob powder is similar to cocoa, though it has a milder taste. My daughter likes them too, she first tried them at my Sister's, she made them for a party.
Carob-Quinoa ChewsHeat cashew butter and honey on medium heat or double boiler, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to bubble (about 2-3 minutes).
Take off heat and stir in vanilla.
Mix in sifted carob powder and puffed cereal. Cool several minutes.
Mold into balls. Cool on counter or in refrigerator until firm.
These Philippine snacks, famous from the city of Cagayan de Oro, were brought in by a co-worker, she brought them back from a recent trip there. Near as I can tell, they contain a mixture of peanuts and honey (the package says it contains the finest bee honey! Bee honey! I didn't realize there was any other kind!) surrounded by a crispy flour shell. Not bad tasting.
I've made this recipe quite a few times since I found it on Anne's Food, a big thank you to Anne! It's an excellent recipe, if you like pork and winter vegetables (ie. root vegetables), which I do, the combination works so well together, though I think this should rather have been called Roots with a little Pork. Still good. The balsamic vinegar and honey combine together to give it a good flavour as well. I've also made this with Chinese daikon and kohlrabi; I can't see why you couldn't use parsnips either. Serve with brown rice or a good thick slice of whole-grain bread.
Pork with RootsCut the carrots into thick coins. Dice the rutabaga and turnip into large dice, and the celeriac into small dice. Cut the onion into wedges. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
Heat up the olive oil in a large pot. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the carrot, rutabaga, turnip and onion, and give it a good stir. Add the bouillon cube, the water and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle each pinch of dried herbs over the vegetables.
Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and lower heat to low. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until all the vegetables are soft. If the heat is too high, you may have to add more water.
Season to taste with runny honey and freshly ground pepper.
This is a preserved food, which you can find in markets in Thailand, the smaller Thai banana is first sun-dried, then preserved with a little salt and some honey. Good tasting, if you like dried fruit.
I had the idea of using mango puree for this dish, but decided at the last moment that it would add too much liquid to the cake, and instead used a cup of Philippine Mango Powder; I think that I should have gone with my original idea in addition to the mango powder, certainly the mango-ness was lost in the honey flavour. Don't get me wrong, it was still very tasty, we just couldn't taste the mango.
Mango Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Allow durian flesh to thaw.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Mix mango powder well into the flour mixture with a whisk.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.
At the second of two baby showers, this one held by my sister and sister-in-law, I was requested to make some dessert, so I decided to make some cupcakes, which my beautiful Bride could decorate beautifully. No pictures of the decorated cupcakes, my camera went on the fritz, but they did taste really good, the combination of chocolate and honey made for a moist cupcake; the pairing with the vanilla buttercream worked well.
Honey Chocolate CupcakesIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light; gradually add honey, beating until light and creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla and milk. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing until well blended. Spoon batter into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven to wire rack. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream
adapted from a recipe from the World Famous Magnolia Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, 3 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. If needed, gradually add remaining sugar, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition, until icing reaches desired consistency.
This is probably the oddest of the cakes I have made from this master Honey Cake recipe. Durian is not really a popular fruit, at least in Western culture, and not so much even in Asian culture. You either like it, and so far I do, or you don't, more than likely because you can't stand the pungent smell. I haven't really been exposed to the smell much, more from thawing frozen durian in supermarkets, not from fresh fresh durian, just off the tree, though I do not dislike that muted smell at least, and actually look forward a little to smelling what little I encounter. This cake turned out really great, the smell of durian comes out distinctly, but it taste more like honey cake than predominantly durian.
Durian Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Allow durian flesh to thaw.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Mix durian flesh well into the flour mixture with a whisk.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.
We came across these Bath & Bloom soaps in Pier One, they look interesting, they also are made in Thailand. I know about using cocoa butter as a moisturizer, and using vegetable oils such as olive or palm oil to make the soap, but am not sold on just adding various food ingredients, ones that are good for the body, at least on the inside, so as to make the soap good for the outside.
This one adds cocoa powder, and also has rice bran oil, palm oil, olive oil and coconut oil.
This one has turmeric root, apparently used for years by Thai women to smooth and brighten their skin, and honey to moisturize the skin.
This is a hard one, I don't know whether I like ginger or wild blueberries more. And, after tasting several of them, I still don't quite know, other than that I like both of them, for different reasons. This is yet another variation on the honey cake theme, I think it makes a versatile and great tasting cake, with lots of combinations. My beautiful Bride preferred the blueberry one. I must admit, it does taste great together, chocolate and blueberries. I had already seen chocolate and ginger together in so many recipes, that I knew that combination would work. Use the best chocolate that you can; I used chocolate chips, as that was what I had on hand.
Chocolate Blueberry and Chocolate Ginger Honey CakesPreheat oven to 300F. Grease two 12 cup muffin tins or fill both with paper muffin cups. Whisk flour and cocoa together until well mixed.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Add chocolate to caramel; mix to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Divide batter into two equal portions. Stir crystallized ginger into one portion of batter, wild blueberries into the other.
Pour into the muffin tins and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cakes are golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Leave to cool.
I really love blueberries, especially the wild variety, they have more flavour and are more nutritious than their domesticated cousins. I find the larger farm variety to be less flavourful, they are merely bigger than the wild kind and don't always have a corresponding increase in flavour. The honey cake is just another variation on the honey cake theme that I have been on for a long while, this time I tried them as individual cakes, not really muffins. I essentially halved the recipe for a honey cake, this calls for 1-1/2 eggs, to get the 1/2 an egg, just whisk a whole egg, then take out as close to half as you can. These turned out very good, quite tasty, I'm pleased with how they worked out.
Wild Blueberry Honey CakesPreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper
muffin cups.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Mix blueberries carefully into batter.
Spoon into individual muffin cups and bake for 50-55 minutes or until cakes are golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cakes onto a wire rack. Leave to cool.
Makes 12 honey cakes.
Later that same day, my beautiful Thai Bride asked me to make for her brother's birthday a cake, and seeing as I had said that I would use up some bananas which had ripened and gone brown, and that her brother likes coconut, we thought that this combination of banana and coconut with the honey would work well. To finish it off, I sprinkled some coconut over the honey glaze. It certainly smells wonderful coming out of the oven, and sitting there cooling.
Banana Coconut Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Whisk coconut into batter. Mash ripe bananas; mix well into the flour mixture with a whisk.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Sprinkle coconut over cake. Leave to cool.
My beautiful Thai Bride expressed a desire to have carrot cake sometime, so of course I dusted off my standard honey cake recipe, which I have not used for several weeks, and made this new variation on the theme, with cinnamon and shredded carrots. And she liked it very much 8-), as did the people at work.
Carrot Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Whisk self-rising flour and cinnamon together.
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Lastly, whisk shredded carrots into batter.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.
Yet another variation on the theme that is the Devonshire Honey Cake, this one features the wonderful combination of chocolate and ginger. There are three forms of ginger within - ground ginger, grated fresh ginger, and crystallized ginger. Sitting far away from my kitchen, I could still smell that combo, wafting wonderfully throughout my place.
Chocolate Ginger Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Add chocolate to hot caramel and stir till melted and mixed through.
Whisk flour, cocoa and ground ginger together till mixed.
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Whisk freshly grated ginger into batter. Whisk crystallized ginger into batter.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.
I have been in the mood lately to bake cakes rather than cookies it seems these days, I contemplated changing the name, just for a moment, to Filberts and Chocolate Cakes. I took inspiration for this version of the Devonshire Honey from Nigella Lawson's Nutella Cake, the amounts of Nutella, Frangelico (hazelnut liquor) and ground hazelnuts are from that recipe. To think, too, writing about hazelnuts, that this is only the second time I have mentioned Nutella, the beloved Italian spread made from hazelnuts, skim milk and a bit of cocoa, we've all seen the commercials, as part of a recipe. But there you are. This turned out quite moist in the center, which again collapsed, and drier around the edge (though perhaps I put it in for 5 minutes too long). All in all, quite delicious, and well received at work. Two things that happened, one is that one lady asked me if I was trying to make everyone fat, the other is when I got the empty container back, there was lipstick on the outside, I can only imagine that someone was so hungry -- well, I don't want to go there...
Chocolate Nutella Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Add chocolate to hot caramel and stir till melted and mixed through.
Whisk flour and cocoa together till mixed.
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Whisk ground hazelnuts into batter. Whisk in entire jar of Nutella, followed by the tablespoon of Frangelico into batter.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.
I took my inspiration from these Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies. Though there should be more chocolate and less cake compared to that recipe, I thought the combination would be great. I know, certainly, that the cookies are always a hit. This is another variation on the orginal Devonshire Honey cake recipe I've made, now, six different versions of. And again, the cake smelled wonderful coming out of the oven. After a few moments, the middle of the cake fell, and later, more dramatically, though I suspect it did because of both the chocolate and the large amount of toffee falling to the bottom of the cake because the flour could not support it. How did it taste? Very rich and delicious, and well received at work, one fellow said it was 'to die for', and had two pieces.
Chocolate Toffee Honey CakePreheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk flour and cocoa together till mixed.
Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute.
Add chocolate to hot caramel and stir till melted and mixed through. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).
Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Stir chocolate toffee bar pieces into batter.
Pour into the greased pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed.
Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.
