3-INGREDIENT CARAMEL SAUCE
A jar of homemade caramel sauce is one of those things that will talk to you from the other side of the fridge door. You know, like, “Pssst! Yoo-hoo! I’m in hee-eere. Remember how delicious I am? Dontcha want another spoonful of me? Come onnnnn.” Oh, is that just my fridge? Can’t be. Either way, thick, rich, and impossibly smooth, this is really good stuff, more complex than your average caramel; and can I say it’s healthier because of the honey—or is that taking things too far? Maybe just a tad. It’s delicious spooned into yogurt with a little fruit, used as a dip for apple slices, drizzled over ice cream (duh), or stirred into coffee (really!). The sauce should be served warm and can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (Hahahaha—like it’s going to hang around for that long!)
Makes about 1½ cups
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup honey
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter
Generous pinch of flaked sea salt
1. Place the cream, honey, butter, and salt in a medium to large saucepan (use a much larger pot than you think you need). Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking until mixture is thoroughly combined.
2. Let the mixture continue to boil for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring or swirling the pot now and then to prevent burning, until it turns a deep amber color. As soon as it reaches the desired color, immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Let the caramel cool for about 20 minutes, then serve.
4. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in a small pot over low heat, or place in a microwave-safe container and microwave on full power at 30-second intervals.
PEANUT BUTTER AND HONEY GRANOLA
Say hello to the easiest granola you’ll ever make. Trust me. I’ve made a lot of granola at home over the years, on a quest to come up with a recipe I loved—one that wasn’t too sweet, too fussy (3 different cooking methods and 16 ingredients? No thank you!), or . . . well, annoying. Plus it had to be delicious. At the end of the day, what I wanted was to be able to dump a few ingredients into a bowl, mix it up, and end up with the crunchy, chewy, sweet, and a little bit salty granola of my dreams. Well, believe it or not, this simple, straightforward, super-customizable recipe is pretty much that!
You can definitely use any kind of nut butter you like—I just happen to like the combination of peanut butter and honey, because it reminds me of one of my favorite lunchbox sandwiches. Want a PB&J-inspired granola instead? Toss some raisins and dried strawberries into the finished product. Think the only thing missing from this recipe is a little chocolate? You might not be wrong about that and can find out for yourself by adding anywhere from ½ to ¾ cup of chocolate chips to a thoroughly cooled batch. What I’m trying to say is this is a really good base to play around with. Switch up the nuts, swap out the dried fruit (or skip it entirely), toss in a teaspoon or so of your favorite spices. You can’t mess this up.
Makes about 8 cups
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups peanuts or any combination of other nuts and/or seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup olive oil
½ cup honey
¾ cup natural peanut butter
¾ cup raisins or other dried fruit
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the oats, peanuts, salt, cinnamon, olive oil, honey, and peanut butter in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly. You’re going to need to put a little bit of muscle into it!
3. Spread the oat mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning.
4. Allow the granola to cool, then add the raisins and toss to combine.
Note: If you store your peanut butter in the fridge, you’re definitely going to want to soften it up before attempting to stir it into your granola, unless you’ve got muscles like Ahnold. The easiest way is in the microwave; 30 to 40 seconds on high should do it.
STRUFFOLI
The first time I ever ate struffoli was with a bunch of three-year-olds. My daughter was in preschool and had just finished learning about honeybees. Her teacher—a legend in our house and one of my daughter’s favorite people of all time—orchestrated a spring-themed celebration, complete with tiny kids clad in cardboard bee costumes, “pollinating” giant construction paper flowers and dancing the “honeybee shuffle.” You can’t even imagine the cuteness. Off the charts.
After the “show,” refreshments were served, including these adorable little, honey-drenched, deep-fried dough balls, which are actually a traditional Italian holiday dessert, struffoli. How did I not know about struffoli?! Sweet, light, citrusy, and festive, it’s a food that’s all about tradition, celebration, and fun—which, yes, makes perfect sense for holiday celebrations, but is also a genius way to party down with little ones any time. Of course, deep-frying is an adults-only undertaking, but the rest of this recipe is perfectly suited to making with children, who love rolling the dough into teensy marble-size balls and going to town with the decorations. The recipe is easily doubled, making it great for gift-giving.
Serves 6
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup honey
Vegetable oil for frying
Sprinkles, nonpareils, or colored sugar for garnish
Other traditional garnishes: toasted hazelnuts, maraschino cherries, candied fruit (optional)
1. Pulse together the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon and orange zest, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, add the eggs and vanilla and process for about 30 seconds, or until a smooth dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a minute or so, then wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Cut each rectangle into ½-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip into ½-inch pieces and roll each piece into a small ball, roughly the size of a hazelnut. Transfer the dough pieces to a large, rimmed baking sheet.
3. In the meantime, line another large, rimmed baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large, wide saucepan to come halfway up the sides and heat over high heat to 350° to 365°F, until a piece of dough sizzles on contact.
4. Working in batches, and without crowding, add the dough pieces to the hot oil and fry, turning as needed, until they’re puffed and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the cooked dough balls to the paper towel–lined baking sheet.
5. Heat the honey in a very large saucepan or wide skillet over medium heat until fluid. Add the balls and stir until completely coated. (This will remind you of making crispy rice treats.) Spoon the honey-coated balls onto a serving dish, then decorate with sprinkles and other garnishes (if using). Let cool.
NEW-SCHOOL JEWISH-ISH HONEY CAKE
Honey cake is something traditionally eaten on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, because eating sweet things—especially honey—are supposed to encourage a sweet New Year. But for something so customary and, supposedly, so propitious, honey cake sure has gotten a bum rap. It’s more or less the Jewish equivalent of the Christmas fruitcake, a “delicacy” on every dessert table that no one will touch. And I tend to agree. Most honey cake I’ve encountered is dreadfully dry and much too sweet. On a mission to Take Back Honey Cake and design a recipe that worked, I began to think about what needed fixing. What would balance the excessive sweetness? What would improve the texture? Hang on . . . what’s the one thing I can always count on to save dessert when all else fails? CHOCOLATE! Yep, I completely bastardized the thing, putting chocolate where it doesn’t belong. Except it so does. I promise you this cake is still deliciously sweet, it’s dense (in a good way), moist, and chocolaty in a way that harmonizes with but doesn’t overpower the honey. I’m not sure if it’s the chocolate cake for honey cake lovers or the honey cake for chocolate lovers, but it’s a good cake either way and you should hurry up and make it already, because it’s easy and delicious and, for goodness sake, do you really need any other reason to bake something?! Sheesh!
Serves 8 to 10
CAKE:
Nonstick spray or butter for pan
½ pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup honey
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
HONEY GANACHE:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chips or chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon dark rum or whiskey (optional)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or butter a 9-inch-diameter springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper or greased aluminum foil.
2. Prepare the cake: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute. Add the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well on medium-high speed after each addition. Add the honey and then the melted chocolate, beating just until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Slowly and carefully add the boiling water, mixing until just combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 60 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the pan, unclip it, and move the cake onto the rack; let cool completely.
6. Prepare the ganache: Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Combine the cream and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the honey dissolves into the cream, about 30 seconds. When the mixture comes to a simmer, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let stand about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter, rum (if using), and vanilla until the butter is melted and the mixture is glossy. Let it set for 10 to 15 minutes.
If you’re impatient, you can glaze the cake like this:
Place the cooled cake on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Pour the cooled ganache evenly over the top of the cake until it’s thoroughly coated. Allow it to set for about 15 minutes.
If you’re patient (and congrats on that, by the way), you can frost the cake like this:
Allow the ganache to come to room temperature for at least 8 hours. It will thicken as it cools. (The ganache can actually sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 24 hours.) Once at room temperature, place the ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, use as you would any other cake frosting, spreading it evenly on the sides and top of the cake.
SHORTCUT BAKLAVA
Baklava, for the uninitiated, is a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dessert made with layers of buttered phyllo dough and ground nuts, drenched in sweet syrup. It’s one of those desserts that is somehow both light and rich—it’s warm, buttery, nutty, honey-soaked heaven. I have made baklava at home, and while it isn’t exactly difficult to do—especially if you’re using premade phyllo—it can be really, really time-consuming. My philosophy is that a lack of patience, swiftness, or precision should not come between anyone and a good dessert—as such, a baklava-esque dessert bar that tastes quite a bit like the real thing, but comes together in about half the time (save for the dough-chilling). Feel free to use any combination of nuts here; pistachios, walnuts, or almonds are traditional, but play around with what you like. Same goes for the spices: cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom are typical, but you know what spices you like. Use those. Or don’t use any. Also, giving a sprinkling of rose water or orange flower water to the finished product is both authentic and delicious.
Makes 22 to 24 pieces
DOUGH:
Butter for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
2 large egg yolks
FILLING:
1⅓ cups honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or cloves (optional)
2 large egg whites
3 cups ground walnuts, pistachios, or almonds
TOPPING:
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Whole or ground nuts for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Prepare the dough: Pulse together the flour, butter, and baking soda in a food processor until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and egg yolks and pulse just until the mixture holds together and you have a soft dough.
3. Divide the dough into three equal parts, forming each into a thick disk. Wrap each disk separately in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a stand mixer or electric handheld mixer, combine the honey, cinnamon, other spices (if using), and egg whites and beat until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the nuts and stir to combine.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough into a rectangle roughly the size of your baking dish. Carefully transfer one sheet of the dough to the prepared pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides of the pan. Repair any tears by pressing lightly into the dough.
6. Spread half of the nut filling evenly over the dough layer. Place a second sheet of dough on top of the filling, spread the remaining filling over this layer, then top with the third layer of dough. Press down lightly to smoosh the pastry together.
7. Add the topping: Using a pastry brush, brush the top layer of dough with the beaten egg yolk. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond shapes (first cut 4 parallel lengthwise lines, then cut several diagonal lines), cutting all the way to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the additional ground nuts or press whole nuts into the top of each piece, if desired.
8. Bake on the center rack of the oven until golden on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the baklava to cool completely in the pan before serving. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
EASY HONEY WHOLE WHEAT SANDWICH BREAD
Homemade bread baking has a reputation for being difficult, extremely complicated, and somehow scary. Well, I am here to tell you that it can be none of those things. Sure, making your own sandwich bread takes a little bit of time, but not a lot of effort. And the results are soooo worth it! Name five smells that are better than baking bread. See? You can’t! This recipe is truly easy—great for beginner bread bakers—and requires almost no kneading, especially if you have a stand mixer. (If you don’t, no worries, it’s still super-doable.) But lest you fret that you need to sit around for hours to bake this stuff, worry not—it only takes a few minutes to make the dough, which you could do one night after work, then keep it in the fridge and bake the next night or even a couple days later. And then—oh, baby—you have honey-kissed, warm, and nutty bread, perfect for not-sad-desk-lunch sandwiches, toasted and smeared with Whipped Honey Butter (page 88), or kicked old school with PB&J. The recipe makes two loaves—one for now (how can you resist?) and one for the freezer.
Makes 2 loaves
1 cup lukewarm water
1 ½ cups milk (any kind), heated until just slightly warm
½ cup honey
1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
1 large egg
¼ cup (½ stick) melted butter, vegetable oil, or olive oil, plus a little more to coat bowl
5 cups bread flour (not all-purpose flour)
3 cups whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
All-purpose flour for dusting
Oil, butter, or nonstick spray for pan
1. Combine the water, milk, honey, and yeast in in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl. Stir to incorporate. Add the egg and butter and whisk until mixed. Add the flours and salt and mix together for 1 minute using either the paddle attachment on a stand mixer set on low speed, or by hand, using a large spoon. The dough will be wet and super-shaggy. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
2. Using your mixer’s dough hook or continuing to wield your trusty mixing spoon, mix the dough for another 2 minutes. The dough will less shaggy and less wet, but still sticky. If it’s really wet, add more whole wheat flour, a spoonful at a time. Continue to mix with the dough hook or by hand for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and tacky, but not overly sticky.
3. Scrape out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Clean out the mixing bowl and grease it lightly with a little oil. Form the dough into a ball and turn it in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours, or transfer the dough to the fridge and let it slowly rise overnight (or longer). (If refrigerating, remove the dough from the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake it.)
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with oil, softened butter, or a nonstick spray. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and turn out the dough on top. Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape each into a loaf. Transfer to the loaf pans. Let the loaves rise a second time, until they dome over the rim of the loaf pans, about 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Bake the loaves in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The finished loaves will be deeply golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely on a baking rack before slicing and/or freezing.
To freeze: Allow the bread to cool completely, then slice the loaf. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for 3 to 6 months. To thaw, remove from the freezer and let sit on the countertop until the loaf reaches room temperature. That’s it!