Thank you to everyone who participated in our Honey Inspired Feast giveaway. There is no more denying that the holidays are here and in the spirit of giving, we're hosting another giveaway!
One of our favorite (and in our opinion, most delicious) traditions at this time of year is the holiday baking/treat making. Spiced breads, nutty fudges, gooey caramels and Santa's tasty cookies not only make our homes smell good, but they also bring us closer to the ones we hold most dear.
Did you know that honey is a natural humectant? What that means is that this sweet little ingredient draws in and retains moisture to ensure moist goodies with perfect crumble. This characteristic also extends the shelf life of your baked goods and helps you avoid having to throw out stale cookies after just a few days. It's just another one of honey's golden traits.
If you're new to or nervous about baking with honey, fear not! With some experimentation, honey can be substituted for all the sweetener in some recipes. Here are some helpful cooking tips:
- When you substitute honey for granulated sweetener in recipes, begin by substituting honey for up to 1/2 of the sugar called for in the recipe.
- When substituting honey for sugar in baked goods:
- Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
- Add about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
- Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning.
- For easy measuring and clean-up, coat measuring cup or spoon with cooking spray before adding honey.
- A 12-ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup.
Not sure you're ready to change up great-grandma's peanut butter cookie recipe? Try one of our recipes developed for using honey:
- Honey Blueberry Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl
- Honey Spice Oatmeal Cookie Mix
- Chocolate Walnut Fudge
- Cherry-Berry Bread Mix
- Honey-Kissed Chocolate Drop Cookies
- Honey Zucchini Bread
- Baklava Cookie Cups
- Cinnamon Honey Glazed Sticky Buns
- Honey Gingerbread Cookies
- Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones
Now on to the giveaway! Entering is easy – we want to know how you work honey into your holiday festivities, so take to your favorite social media channel (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) and tell us what your favorite honey holiday dish is using the hashtag #HoneyInspiredBaking.
Five winners will be selected at random on January 1st and will receive a honey holiday-inspired package featuring an apron, cookbook, and honey along with other little goodies, including this beautiful set of nesting bowls pictured above from Crate and Barrel. You'll find the official rules here.
How does honey make your holidays sweeter? Tell us all about it and you could be a winner. Good luck and happy holidays!