Sweeten up desserts and savouries with lashings of honey
Everything tastes better with a generous dollop of honey
Honey and fig bundt cake
Serves: 10
Cooking time: 1 hour
Preparation time: 45 minutes
For the bundt:
225g (8oz) butter, softened and
cubed, plus extra for greasing 350g (12oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
400g (14oz) golden caster sugar 6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla-bean paste
50ml (2fl oz) orange-blossom honey 100ml (3½fl oz) whole milk
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp cream of tartar
For the drizzle:
2 tbsps honey
50g (2oz) icing sugar
50ml (2fl oz) water
For the butter icing:
220g (8oz) butter, softened
375g (13oz) icing sugar
150g (5oz) honey
120ml (4fl oz) double cream
To decorate:
4 figs, sliced into wedges
100g (3½oz) pistachio nuts,
chopped
● Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°f/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 25cm (9in) bundt tin with butter and dust lightly with flour.
● for the bundt, cream together the cubed butter and caster sugar until it is smooth and pale.
● Whisk in 1 egg at a time until they are all fully combined and the mixture is smooth.
● Mix in the vanilla paste, honey, milk and orange zest.
● In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cream of tartar. fold gently into the batter until fully combined.
● Spoon the mixture into the tin and give it a gentle tap so the top is level and all the gaps filled.
● Put the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 50 minutes until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Leave the cake to cool fully before turning out.
● To make the drizzle, put the honey, sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has thickened.
● for the butter icing, cream together the softened butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.
● Add the honey and double cream then whisk slowly until it is a perfect spreadable consistency. ● Turn out the cooled bundt on to a cake stand then spread the honey butter cream over the top.
● decorate the cake with fig wedges and chopped pistachios and drizzle with honey syrup just before serving.
Honey and iced green tea
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus 2 hours’ cooling 2 tbsps loose green tea leaves or 4 green teabags
2 tbsps honey
6 fresh ginger slices, peeled
4 mint sprigs
500ml (17½fl oz) boiling water 500ml (17½fl oz) cold water 2 lemons
● Place the green tea, honey, ginger and 2 sprigs of the mint in a large saucepan.
● Pour over the boiling water and allow to infuse for 10-15 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. Strain into a large jug.
● Cool the tea to room temperature, top up with cold water then chill until it is ice cold.
● Juice 1 lemon and stir it into the iced tea.
● Slice the second lemon and place 2 slices in each of 4 glasses with ice and the remaining mint.
● Pour over the iced tea and serve.
Honey-roast vegetables with toasted hazelnuts and goat’s cheese
Serves: 4 as a main or
6-8 as a side dish
Cooking time: 20 minutes Preparation time: 15 minutes
200g (7oz) baby aubergines
200g (7oz) baby courgettes
200g (7oz) baby fennel
2 tbsps olive oil
Salt and pepper
200g (7oz) sprouting broccoli
200g (7oz) young asparagus
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps honey
1 garlic clove, peeled and
crushed
200g (7oz) goat’s cheese
100g (3½oz) hazelnuts, toasted A handful of fresh dill, chopped
● Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/gas mark 6 and put a large roasting tray in to heat.
● Remove the stems from the aubergines. Halve the aubergines and courgettes lengthways.
● Cut each fennel bulb into 6 wedges then toss with half of the oil in a bowl, along with the halved aubergines and courgettes.
● Season.
● Tip into the roasting tray and roast for 10 minutes.
● Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli in salted boiling water for 1 minute then drain and steam dry.
● Trim the barky root from the bottom of the asparagus and add to the roasting tray with the broccoli. Toss together and roast for a further 5 minutes.
● Mix the other half of the oil, vinegar, honey and garlic. Drizzle over the vegetables, season and roast for a further 5 minutes.
● Transfer to a serving platter, crumble over the goat’s cheese and sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts and chopped dill.
Honey and lemon iced lollies
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus freezing
2 unwaxed lemons
2 tbsps manuka honey
1 tsp glucose syrup
500ml (17½fl oz) boiled water 3 sprigs lemon thyme
● Peel and julienne the rind of the lemons, being careful not to include any of the pith.
● Put the lemon rind, honey and glucose syrup in a glass jug then pour over the boiling water.
● Mix and allow to cool fully.
● Juice the lemons and strip the leaves from the thyme then mix in with the cool honey water.
● Place 6 x 100ml (3½fl oz) lolly moulds on a flat base in your freezer and evenly distribute the liquid among them.
● freeze the lollies for 30 minutes then give them a gentle stir to mix up the zest and thyme.
● Place the lids and lolly sticks on top then freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. These ice lollies should last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Honey and lavender lamb with corn and salsa verde
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 45 minutes-1 hour Preparation time: 30 minutes,
plus marinating
For the marinade:
2 tsps lavender
2 tbsps honey
2 tsps smoked salt
A good grind of pepper
1 garlic bulb, peeled and crushed 1 tbsp olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the lamb:
2-2½ kg (4½-5½lb) leg of
lamb, butterflied
For the salsa verde:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
A handful of flat-leaf parsley A handful of mint leaves
75g (3oz) capers
75g (3oz) cocktail gherkins 6 anchovies
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp red-wine vinegar
4 tbsps olive oil
For the corn:
4 sweetcorn cobs
12 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
● Mix together the lavender, honey, smoked salt, pepper, crushed garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and juice.
● Place the lamb in a large zip-lock bag and pour over the marinade.
● Rub the marinade all over the lamb and seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible.
● Lay the lamb in a baking tray just in case any liquid leaks out of the bag and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.
● Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°f/gas mark 4 and place the marinated leg of lamb, fat side up, on a rack over a large roasting tray.
● Roast the lamb for 45 minutes if you like it just pink or for 1 hour if you prefer your meat cooked a little more. Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate way of always ensuring perfectly cooked meat. When the temperature of the lamb reads 54-60°C (130-140°f) in the thickest part, it can rest and will be perfectly pink. If you don’t want it pink, then 66°C (150°f) – or higher – is for you.
● Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Crush the garlic, finely chop the parsley and mint, then roughly chop the capers, gherkins and anchovies. Mix in the mustard, vinegar and olive oil then season to taste.
● Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil then rest for 15 minutes.
● Use a sharp knife to carefully strip the corn kernels from the cobs.
● Quarter the tomatoes and place in a bowl.
● Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a high heat and sauté the corn in the oil for 2 minutes until just charring. Spoon into the bowl with the tomatoes.
● Mix together then spoon on to a large platter or serving board.
● Carve the lamb and lay the slices over the corn and tomatoes. Serve with the salsa verde.