Simply Sweet... Honey Sweet Easter Celebration

National Honey Board:April:2012


Easter is this Sunday and it’s the perfect chance to spend quality time with family and friends. Are you entertaining for Easter this weekend? 


Well, you are in luck! 


The National Honey Board has compiled five of our favorite recipes to help create a delicious and balanced array of dishes for your special feast.

With the trees blooming and the weather warming up, spring is a beautiful time of year. From appetizers to entrees, side dishes and dessert, we have created a menu that will bring some springtime flavors to the table! 


We wish you a wonderful celebration.

Pear Cheese Tarts with Honey and Hazelnuts

( makes 18 tarts)

• 1 box (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry
• 1 pear, cored and quartered
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Sage honey, divided
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
• Baking spray

Remove puff pastry from freezer 30 minutes before using. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut pear into thin slices. In small bowl, combine pear, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon honey. Reserve another 1 Tablespoon honey in a small heatproof bowl. Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the honey, flour and lemon zest. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs, scrape down the sides again and mix until very smooth. 

Cut half of the pastry sheets into 9 squares. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray. Carefully fit 1 square into each muffin cup. Fill each cup with 2 Tablespoons cheese mixture. Cut pear slices to fit muffin tin. Fan 3 or 4 slices of pear over each cup and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon hazelnuts.

 Freeze 10 to 15 minutes to firm pastry. Bake cold tarts until pastry is lightly browned and cheese is puffed, about 20 minutes. Cut 9 more pastry squares and repeat filling and baking. Microwave reserved honey 5 seconds on High and drizzle tarts with warm honey.

 Let tarts sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving or refrigerate and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.

Baked Honey Ham
Pictured above
(makes 12 servings)

• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1 oven cooking bag
• 1 (about 6 lbs.) bone-in fully cooked ham
• 16 oz. (1-1/4 cups) honey
• 4 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons rosemary or thyme, crushed
• Honey Sauce, recipe follows

Place flour in roasting bag and shake to coat inside surface. Place ham in floured bag. Combine honey, lemon pepper and rosemary; pour over ham and close bag with twister. Poke holes in top of bag with fork. Roast at 325°F for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until slightly browned. Remove from oven, let stand 10 minutes. Cut bag and remove ham, following bag manufacturer's directions. Reserve drippings for sauce.

Honey Sauce: Strain drippings and measure; add enough water to equal 2 cups. Add 1/2 cup white wine and bring to boil. Serve with ham. Makes 12 servings.

                 Honey-Glazed Vegetable Medley
                                                    (makes 2 servings) 

 

• 1 cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced zucchini
• 1/4 cup diced sweet red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

Combine carrots and water in 1-quart microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave at HIGH (100%) 3 to 4 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring halfway through cooking time. Drain liquid; add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Microwave at HIGH 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender, stirring halfway through cooking time. Let stand 2 minutes and stir before serving.

Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes
(makes 4 servings)

• 4 large (about 2 lbs.) baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Peel potatoes and cut each into 6 to 8 pieces. In large saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water; bring to a boil. Simmer potatoes 12-15 minutes, until barely tender. Drain. Combine mustard, honey and thyme in small bowl. In large bowl, toss potatoes with honey-thyme mustard until coated evenly.

 Arrange potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet, sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F, or until potatoes begin to brown around edges. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Honey Carrot Cake
(makes 12-16 servings)

• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts, optional
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In large mixing bowl, cream margarine until fluffy. Beat in honey in fine stream until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In small bowl, combine carrots, raisins, nuts, orange juice and vanilla; set aside. Combine dry ingredients in separate large bowl; set aside

. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour batter into greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. 

Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn onto wire cake rack.