We call it a case of sweet success: The Pilot's 2014 Dream Team of bakers had a honey of a time at the State Fair of Virginia, bringing home four first-place ribbons and 10 awards overall. This year's category was honey cookery - baked goods that use honey for all or part of their sweetening - and the team of local cooks wowed the state fair judges with a loaf of bread that was heavenly, baklava that was at once gooey and flaky, a version of s'mores that elevated the campfire treat to a new level and a rustic apple galette that will make you forever forgo a traditional pie crust. Now it's your turn. We're offering our 10 winning recipes on the back page, so you can re-create the blue ribbon-winning concoctions in your own kitchen.
recipes
bars or brownies, first
Baklava
Makes: 9-by-13-inch pan (number of pieces depends on how big you cut them)
- Butter, to coat pan
- 1 pound walnuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 16-ounce package phyllo dough
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 11/2 cups sugar
- 11/2 cups water
- 11/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 11/2 cups honey
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.
Unroll phyllo dough. Place two sheets of dough in the pan, and coat thoroughly with melted butter. Repeat until you have eight layered sheets. Cover unused dough with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out as you work.
Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top.
Top with two sheets of dough, butter and nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be six to eight sheets deep - with each buttered separately.
Use a sharp knife to make cuts into desired size for each piece.
Bake for 50 minutes until golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, make sauce. Boil sugar and water in a saucepan until sugar is melted.
Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for 20 minutes.
When baklava comes out of the oven, immediately spoon sauce over top.
Let cool. Use a knife to recut the pieces, and serve each in a cupcake wrapper.
Source: Adapted by Deana Hubbell of Virginia Beach from an allrecipes.com recipe.
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cakes, second
PEANUT BUTTER/HONEY CAKE with SALTED HONEY FROSTING
Makes: 1 8-inch cake
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 3.4-ounce box French vanilla instant pudding mix
- 11/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
Combine vegetable oil and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix with hand mixer until combined.
Add peanut butter and honey, and mix thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add milk and vanilla, and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk together.
Add half of dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until just blended. Add remaining dry ingredients, and mix until well-blended.
Divide batter evenly between pans, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
While cakes are baking, cut four 12-inch pieces of aluminum foil to wrap cake layers.
When cakes are done, slide a knife around edges of pans to loosen cake and then invert each hot layer onto a sheet of aluminum foil. Remove parchment paper from bottom. Cover each cake layer with another piece of foil and seal edges. Place each wrapped layer on a plate and put in freezer. Yes, right out of the oven - this will ensure a moist cake. Freeze for at least 24 hours.
When ready to use, remove layers from freezer, place one layer on a cake plate and top with room-temperature peanut butter ganache filling (recipe follows). Add the second cake layer, and cover cake with plastic wrap. Let thaw completely. Remove plastic wrap and frost cake with salted honey frosting (recipe follows).
FOR PEANUT BUTTER GANACHE
- 1 10-ounce bag of Reese's Peanut Butter chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Put peanut butter chips in a small glass mixing bowl.
Heat heavy cream in a small pan until it just starts to boil.
Pour cream over peanut butter chips. Let sit for about a minute, then whisk by hand until smooth.
Add honey and vanilla, and whisk together. Reserve 3/4 cup for topping; instructions to follow.
Add 1/4 cup of peanut butter to remaining ganache, and whisk until smooth. Let sit until at room temperature, whisking occasionally. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
FOR SALTED HONEY FROSTING
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 2-pound bag of 10x powdered sugar (preferred brand: Domino)
- 6 to 8 tablespoons milk (microwaved for about 5 to 10 seconds, just long enough to take chill off)
- 4 pinches salt
Use hand mixer to cream butter and shortening together.
Mix in honey. Add one-half of the bag of powdered sugar. Add 5 tablespoons of milk, and carefully mix together.
Add remainder of powdered sugar, salt and milk - 1 tablespoon at a time - until desired consistency is reached.
Source: Lynnette Rohring of Virginia Beach
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bars or brownies, second
Caramel Pecan Bars
Makes: 9-by-13-inch pan (number of pieces depends on how big you cut them)
FOR CRUST
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, cubed
FOR FILLING
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2/3 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 31/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, begin preparing the crust by mixing together flour and powdered sugar. Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut butter into that mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
Pat dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.
In a saucepan, bring brown sugar, honey, butter and cream to a boil over medium heat.
Stir in pecans, and spoon filling into cooled crust.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, again at 350 degrees, until top is golden and bubbly.
Cool on wire rack, and cut into bars.
Source: Adapted from Southern Living by Sherri Paya of Moon
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candy, first
Honey Marshmallow S'mores
Makes: 30 to 40, depending on the size
- Cooking spray, to coat pan
- 1 cup water, divided
- 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
- 11/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 6 ounces Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, 60 percent cacao, melted
- 1 sleeve honey graham crackers, ground
Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray, and press a layer of plastic wrap onto bottom and up the sides, extending the plastic wrap at the narrow ends of the pan. Spray the plastic wrap with additional cooking spray.
Place 1/2 cup of cold water in a small bowl and add gelatin. Let sit until water is absorbed.
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of water, sugar, brown sugar, honey and salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until temperature reaches 260 degrees.
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with a mixer equipped with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
When the temperature of the sugar syrup nears 260 degrees, place the gelatin mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to liquefy it. When sugar syrup reaches 260 degrees, remove from heat, and whisk the gelatin mixture into the syrup.
Slowly stream the syrup into the egg whites and beat with a mixer on medium speed. After the syrup has been incorporated, increase mixer speed to high and beat for 10 minutes.
Scrape the marshmallow mixture into the pan, and let sit uncovered overnight.
The next day, brush the top of the marshmallow mixture with powdered sugar. Invert onto a work surface that has been dusted with additional powdered sugar. Peel away plastic wrap, and dust powdered sugar onto the top.
Cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter or, to minimize waste, cut into small squares. Dust each piece with powdered sugar.
Brush the individual marshmallows with a small amount of melted chocolate, and then roll in the graham cracker crumbs. Let air dry for a few minutes to set the chocolate.
Source: Adapted by Eileen Balance of Norfolk from a recipe she received at a candy-making class years ago
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pies, first
Honey Sweet Apple Galette
Makes: 12 generous servings
FOR CRUST (makes crusts for three 9-inch pies)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup shortening, chilled
- 2 tablespoons butter, chilled
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup ice-cold water
1/2 cup flour, for rolling out crust
for Apple Filling
- 6 medium to large apples (Fuji, Granny Smith and Gala) peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup honey
- 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
FOR Egg Wash
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 sugar, for sprinkling
Heat oven 350 degrees
For the crust, add flour, salt and sugar to a mixing bowl, and toss together.
Add shortening and butter, and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles coarse sand. Chill in freezer until apple filling is finished.
After apple filling (see next step) is made, remove flour mixture from freezer and create a well in the center. Add 1?3 cup of ice water. With a fork, drag flour through the water and toss until dry ingredients are wet and begin to stick together. After initial water is absorbed, add remaining water and toss until dough is easily brought together into a smooth disc. You can make discs for three galettes.
For the filling, place apples in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cornstarch. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples.
Pour honey over apples, and toss everything together. Allow to stand for 1 hour to draw juice from the apples.
After an hour, drain the liquid from the apples into a saucepan. Add butter and apple juice concentrate. Bring mixture to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Remove from heat, and cool until the pie crust is rolled out and filled with sliced apples.
Roll out pie dough on a well-floured surface. Trim dough into a 14-inch circle.
Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Begin filling the dough with apples from the center out, leaving 2 inches of crust bare to fold onto the filling.
After the apples have been added, fold the crust over the filling in 4-inch-long sections. Pour apple juice mixture over filling and squish into the nooks and crannies.
If desired, crust may be adorned with additional cutouts made from the leftover dough.
Prepare egg wash by blending egg yolks and milk in a small bowl. Brush the dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, turning after 20 minutes to ensure even browning. Galette is done when crust is evenly browned and juices just begin to bubble.
Source: Margaret Derrick of Virginia Beach
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cakes, second
UNCLE BOB'S FRESH APPLE WALNUT CAKE
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
FOR Honey Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey (preferred brand: Orange Blossom)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
FOR Apple Walnut Cake
Cooking spray, to coat pan
- 3 cups (about 2 apples) diced Granny Smith apples
- 1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 cups flour, plus more to coat pan
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 11/4 cups vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
For the glaze, add confectioners' sugar, honey, milk and walnuts to a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.
For the cake, begin by heating the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a Bundt or tube pan with cooking spray and flour.
In a bowl, mix together the apples, walnuts, vanilla and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the dry ingredients, and beat until combined.
Fold in the apple-walnut mixture.
Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 90 minutes or until a tester inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely, about 1 hour, and then turn it out onto a plate. Drizzle with the honey glaze.
Source: The Deen Family, submitted by Donna Brown of Chesapeake
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cookies, second
HONEY COOKIES
Makes: 20 to 22 cookies
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar, also known as raw sugar or demerara sugar, for rolling
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer set to medium speed, beat the egg and sugar until creamy and light.
Reduce the speed, and add canola oil. Return to medium speed and beat.
Measure the honey in the cup used for the oil; this will help it slide out. Add honey and vanilla to the bowl, and mix.
Stir in the flour mixture to complete the dough.
Place turbinado sugar into a small bowl.
Using a cookie-dough scooper or your fingers, scoop out walnut-sized balls of dough. (If using your hands, roll the dough between your palms to form small balls.) Roll the balls into the turbinado sugar to coat. Place onto the cookie sheets.
Bake for 11 to 12 minutes until golden and flattened.
Cool cookies on a wire rack.
Source: Debbie Wilson of Norfolk
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cookies, third
Honey-Nut Oatmeal raisin Cookies
Makes: Up to 36 cookies, depending on the size
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups Quaker Oats (regular)
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup clover honey
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup raisins, or to taste
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and oats.
Using a stand mixer, blend together butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and honey until well-incorporated.
Add dry ingredients to wet ones, and mix until well incorporated.
Add nuts and raisins, and mix by hand until incorporated.
Scoop dough into balls and place on cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Source: Christopher Gore of Portsmouth
sweetened with 100 percent honey, first
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Honey Granola Bread
Makes: 2 loaves
- 61/4 to 63/4 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 11/4 cups water, divided
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons yeast
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups granola, crushed
In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of flour and the salt.
In a saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of water, milk, oil and honey until warm.
Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (110 to 112 degrees) and wait 5 minutes to ensure it is active.
Add milk mixture and dissolved yeast to flour mixture.
Add eggs, and blend until moistened with electric mixer on low speed, then increase speed to medium for 3 minutes.
By hand, gradually stir in granola and enough of the remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead 8 to 10 minutes.
Place dough in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 11/2 hours.
Punch down dough, cover and let rise again.
Punch down dough again, and divide into two parts. Braid each piece, then place each piece of dough into a greased 9-by-5-inch bread pan.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, covering loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.
Source: Adapted by Susan Okaty of Virginia Beach from a recipe she received nearly 40 years ago
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sweetened with 100 percent honey, second
Ana Banana Bars
Makes: An 8-by-8-inch pan
- Butter or grease, for coating pan
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons sour cream
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 butter
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon banana flavoring
- 3/4 cup bananas, pureed or fork mashed
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease an 8-by-8-inch pan. If you want thinner bars, use a larger pan.
Mix all ingredients until blended. The order doesn't matter; just don't overmix.
Pour batter into pan, and bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool, then cut into bars.
Source: Mary Lundblom of Virginia Beach