Nowadays, cuisines all over the world use sugar as their main sweetener although honey is a perfect substitute. Raw honey is the ideal way to go, as it retains its natural properties and is unheated, unpasteurized, and unprocessed - unlike sugar.
Nevertheless, like overindulging in anything, eating too much honey could cause some unwanted effects such as weight gain and allergies. In the following article, we will introduce 6 easy and delicious honey recipes that use honey with moderation and allow you to enjoy the properties of this bee elixir.
Honey - A healthier option
Honey is not only a delicious type of food but also a healthy one - our skin and hair are the first ones to benefit from its properties. Scientists, however, have yet to reach conclusive results about the extent of honey's effects on our wellbeing.
Easy-to-make honey recipes
Typically associated with desserts, honey can also be used in savory recipes, with meat and vegetables, allowing you to explore the diverse qualities of honey. We have listed six honey recipes, ranging from easy to medium, and hopefully, they will be the perfect fit for your next dinner party.
1. Sweet bread
Sweet bread is the ideal option for breakfast or snack, but it can also be an alternative to traditional bread. It can be prepared as a whole loaf or in rolls.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
3 - 4 tbs. melted butter
1 egg, whipped
½ or 1 cup honey
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 tbs. yeast
1 pinch of salt
There are many other spices and ingredients you can use to make this honey recipe really pop - sugar, grated lemon or orange peel, raisins, nuts, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cilantro, or cloves.
Method
In order to prepare this sweet recipe, you will need a bowl to mix the butter, egg, honey, milk, and salt. After you reach a paste consistency, progressively add the flour and yeast (as well as the extra ingredients that we may want to use). Mix until it thickens.
Next, place the dough in a cake mold that you've buttered up before or shape into balls, and place into the over. Bake at 180ºC until golden brown.
2. Oats and honey biscuits
To prepare these delicious oats and honey biscuits you will need to use the following ingredients:
Ingredients (for 10-15 biscuits)
1 ½ cup oats
½ cup flour
½ cup honey
1 egg
4 tbs. butter
1 tbs. yeast
You can also add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to give more flavor to the biscuits. Other optional ingredients are grated orange peel, brown sugar, nuts, ginger, and ground pepper.
Method
First, mix the egg and butter in a bowl and then add the flour and the yeast. Add the honey and the oats and mix together, if the paste becomes too dry, add water to make it thinner.
Preheat the oven at 180º or 200º C. Next, use a spoon to make balls of dough, place them on the tray and flatten them with your finger. Place the tray in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden.
Leave to cool and serve with a glass of milk or coffee.
3. Honey cake
Honey cake has been around for centuries and many countries make their own version - the Ashkenazi Jews have the Lekach, the Czech have the Medovnik checo, the Armenian boast their Marlenka cake, and the Romanians have the sweet Dulcinea cake.
You will need the following ingredients to make this honey recipe, and similarly to the previous ones, you can add orange peel, apples, almonds, or plums to give it an extra juicy punch.
Ingredients
200 gr flour with yeast
170 gr honey
140 gr butter
80 gr sugar
2 eggs, whipped
water
Method
First, add the butter, honey, sugar, and a tablespoon of water into a pan. Mix together until everything melts, remove from fire and add the contents to a bowl with the whipped eggs and flour.
Next, put the dough into a mold and bake for 45 minutes at 180ºC. Leave to cool and then cover in glaze; you will need the following ingredients:
- 50 gr sugar
- 1 tbs honey
- a few tbs warm water
Mix in a small bowl and then pour on top of the honey cake. Let cool again, and enjoy!
4. Honey lemon chicken
This honey recipe will give your regular chicken meal a real twist! You will be able to cook for two persons, using the ingredients below:
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
½ lemon
1 tbs. honey
1 tbs. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
First, use a bowl to mix the lemon juice with the soy sauce and honey. After you've done this, season the chicken with salt and pepper and then cover it in honey sauce. Add onions and powder garlic for an added flavor; place lemon slices in between the chicken pieces for an extra sour zing.
Bake the chicken for 30 minutes at 180º - 200ºC, add more sauce to the chicken as it cooks, once or twice more, so it doesn't dry out.
5. Aubergine fritters with honey
Aubergines, or eggplant, are a typical ingredient in many cultures. The Greeks use it in their Moussaka, the Arabs make Baba ghanoush, and the Catalans make the Escalivada. We recommend soaking the eggplant in salt water the night before cooking, as to avoid absorbing a lot of oil when cooked.
Ingredients
1 big aubergine
1 cup flour
60-80 gr honey
1 cup olive oil
1 pinch salt
Method
First, wash and dry the aubergine and then cut into thick slices. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on both sides of the slices and then dry off with a kitchen towel.
Next, heat a pan, dunk the eggplant slices in flour and fry over medium heat. Flip on the other side as soon as the slices get golden brown.
When finished frying them, place all the aubergine slices on a plate and finally pour honey on top. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.
6. Honey and mustard sauce
This honey and mustard sauce has become extremely popular lately, partly due to how easy it is to make. The perfect complement for meat, such as chicken, fish, or pork, as well as ideal for vegetable dishes, potatoes, or tofu, this sweet sauce bears similarities with its cousin, the Caesar dressing.
Ingredients
1 tbs homemade mayo
1 tbs honey
1 tbs mustard (ideally Dijon)
You can also add extra ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, a pinch of salt, ground pepper, or powdered garlic, depending on what you prefer.
Method
Once you have made the mayonnaise, add it to a bowl together with the mustard and the honey and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
We recommend using Dijon mustard as its slightly bitter taste combines excellently with honey and the results stand out when compared to other mustards.