APPLES and HONEY–A Timeless Duo
Honey, one of nature’s true gifts, is known as a healing ingredient with an indefinite shelf-life. Locally harvested honey is said to be helpful for those with allergies. A wonderful addition to fruit, vegetables, meats, poultry, yogurt, baked goods, glazes, sauces, cereals, and teas, honey is the perfect complement with anything apple. With the wide variety of apples available during the autumn season the options are limitless for your menu planning.
Honey Baked Apple Sauce ~ Pie Filling ©Ellen Easton
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INGREDIENTS: 4 apples ~ a mix of 2 Granny Smith and Honey Crisp or Macintosh, peeled, cored, and sliced into quarters|| 1 large or 2 small lemons, juiced| 1 Tablespoon Honey |1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon|1/8 teaspoon of ground Nutmeg| and Optional 1/8 teaspoon ground Cardamom |1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract, Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourdon Vanilla if available| Optional~ 1/4 cup roasted natural raw walnuts or pecans, shelled| 1/4 cup golden raisins
PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, lemon juice and honey, set aside. In a large bowl place the apple quarters. Add the spice/honey mixture and toss to thoroughly coat the apples. NOTE: To enhance the flavor, you may marinate in a resealable bag for several hours in the refrigerator or you may proceed “as is”. Place the coated apple quarters in a glass or Pyrex baking pan. Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. The tip of a knife should easily pierce the apple slice. When done, remove the apples from the oven and place into a bowl. Using a potato masher or a large, slotted spoon or pronged fork, gently mash the apples to desired texture of either a chunky or a smooth sauce, your choice. If desired, add the optional roasted walnuts and raisins. See below on how to roast nuts. Yield approximately 2 cups.
Toasting Walnuts| Pecans: Place whole or half natural raw walnuts or pecans on a cookie sheet and roast for approximately 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool down. When the nuts are cool enough to handle, place on a sheet of wax paper. Using a mallet or the side of a can, roll over to crush into small pieces; set aside. Yields: 2 cups; Prep time: 20 min; Cook time:30- 40 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week. A delicious snack, side dish or pie ~ tart filling.
Honey Roasted Balsamic Vinegar Brussels Sprouts
(1) Brussels Sprouts with honey. (2) Coated with Honey & Balsamic Vinegar (3) Prepped in Pyrex dish (4) Roasted
INGREDIENTS: Brussels Sprouts, bottoms cut off , Honey, Balsamic Vinegar. Notes: : This recipe may be prepared to personal tastes. I used 20 whole Brussels sprouts, 1 Tablespoon raw clover honey and 3 Tablespoons honey ginger balsamic Vinegar. Halved or shredded Brussels sprouts may also be use with adjustments for honey and balsamic vinegar to taste.
EQUIPMENT: Mixing bowl, Pyrex baking dish. PREPARATION: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the bottoms of the Brussels sprouts to sit flat. Place into a bowl. Add honey and Balsamic Vinegar. Toss all together coating all sides of the Brussels sprouts. Add more honey and Balsamic vinegar as needed taste. Place flat bottom down into the Pyrex dish. Scatted the loose leaves into the dish. Set on the middle rack and roast until tender. When the tip of a pointed knife is soft to the touch the Brussels sprouts are ready to remove from the oven. Delicious served hot or cold as a side dish, in salads or pasta. May be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days.
Honey Caramel Sauce
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup honey |4 Tbsp salted butter or unsalted sweet butter, room temperature, cut in pieces and melted on stove top|1/2 cup cream at room temperature Optional 1/4 -1/2 tsp vanilla extract( preferably Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)| or alternate flavors of choice
PREPARATION: Place honey in a double boiler, top cover off, over a medium heat. Warm until the honey darkens slightly as it begins to caramelizes. Stir to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the butter. Be careful, the mixture is hot and can splash. When the butter has blended into the honey add the 1/2 cup cream. Stir to combine. Stir and heat until it reaches 220F on an instant read thermometer. Optional ` Add vanilla or other flavoring of choice.. Pour the mixture into a jar or jars and allow to cool at room temperature. When the honey caramel has cooled, tightly cover and refrigerate until chilled. The mixture will thicken as it chills. Keep refrigerated. Use your honey caramel within a week. When ready to use if the mixture has separated just stir together again. May be re heated in a double boiler if you wish to serve warm. NOTES: Leave the heavy cream on the counter to bring to room temperature. Adding cream cold to the caramel can cause it to separate later. Unsalted butter may be used but note that the salted butter enhances the flavor or the caramel. A welcome topping for ice cream, yogurt, fresh fruit, cake.
Honey Glaze
INGREDIENTS~ 1 Cup Honey |1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed|1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon | 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger| 1 tsp of Yellow Mustard or ½ tsp of Ground Mustard.
PREPARATION ~ Pre- heat oven. Mix all ingredients together. To glaze a ham, meat or poultry in the oven at 350 degrees F, brush half of the mixture over the each. Baste occasionally from the pan drippings. 30 minutes before the end cooking time pour the remaining mix over each. Continue roasting until done.
Additional Apple Recipes:
https://www.thethreetomatoes.com/apples-for-the-autumn-season
https://www.thethreetomatoes.com/honey-roasted-apple-carrot-butternut-squash-soup
Copyright ©Ellen Easton. All Rights Reserved. All text and photographs protected under U.S. copyright law and may not be used in AI. Note: AI related posts attributed to Ellen Easton are often inaccurate.
To help others with food assistance see link: feedingamerica.org
Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions(RED WAGON PRESS), an afternoon tea authority, lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included the Waldorf=Astoria, the Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.
