October brings Halloween and the Trick-or-Treat gremlins. Then comes Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. Honey just has to be a part of all the festivities.
GINGERBEE COOKIES
Use some Halloween cookie cutters for these.
- 1½ cups honey¾ cup butter or margarine, softened 1 egg
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon each ground ginger and ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
In large bowl, cream honey and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. When dough is chilled, divide dough in half; return one half to refrigerator. Dust work surface and dough with flour. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter; transfer to well-greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on wire rack. Prepare and bake other half of dough. Makes about three dozen cookies.
CRANBERRY PECAN PIE
This pie can be a useful dessert any time during the holidays.
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ½ teaspoon orange extract
- 1 baked 9-inch pie shell
- Pecan topping (see recipe)
Combine cranberries, juice and honey in medium saucepan. Cook, covered, over low heat 15 minutes if using fresh cranberries or 20 minutes if using frozen berries. Cool. Puree cranberry mixture in blender; return to saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water in cup. Stir into cranberry sauce mixture. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat and cook until thickened. Stir in orange extract. Cool, then pour into pie shell. Spoon pecan topping (see recipe) evenly over cranberry mixture. Bake in 350°F oven for 20 minutes or until top is bubbly. Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Makes eight servings.
PECAN TOPPING FOR PIE
- ½ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1¾ cups pecan halves
Combine butter and honey in medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat for two minutes or until mixture is smooth. Add pecan halves and stir until well coated.
Both recipes from National Honey Board
“Wonderful Desserts For The Upcoming Holidays!”
Ann Harman
Honey scorches very easily when heated so be careful when a recipe calls for heating a mixture containing honey. When baking cookies made with honey check them frequently because sometimes oven temperatures can vary and the bottom of the cookie could be burned. If you had a good honey crop this year be sure to bottle, label it nicely and use as gifts during the holiday season. Everyone appreciates pure local honey.
