23 Dec Fri 2016
Baking with HONEY for the Holidays? We've Got You Covered
Baking with honey always feels so good! Far more virtuous than sugar, honey has lots of benefits, such as keeping your baked goods fresh and moist longer. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Sweeter: Honey is slightly sweeter than sugar, so less can be used to achieve the same sweetness intensity.
Flavor: Honey imparts a unique flavor to any dish, and it also balances and enhances the flavor profiles of other ingredients used in a recipe. Choose a honey that seems to go along with the type of flavor you're looking for. For instance, I use our Melaleuca honey along with molasses for my gingerbread. I use Black Mangrove, syrupy with butterscotch overtones, on my french toast, and Tropical Wildflower or Tutti Frutti in my tea and salad dressings.
Emulsifier: Honey acts as a binder and thickener for sauces, dressings, marinades and dips.
Humectant: Honey provides and retains moisture to a variety of dishes and can even extend the shelf life of baked goods.
Temperature: Honey makes baked items brown faster. So try lowering the baking temperature by 25° so things don't over-brown!
And keep in mind...honey is a liquid. So if you replace sugar, a dry ingredient, with liquid honey, then you might want to add a tiny bit more flour in order to offset the additional liquid. (But not by much, don't want it to be dry!).
If you need some honey, we're home for the holidays and have plenty bottled up. We have at least three floral varieties available. Just call us at (305) 323-2363 if you're in South Florida and want to pick some up!
Have the happiest of holidays!