Cooking with honey

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Our food and nutrition guide, Julie Van Rosendaal, joins Jim with some ideas for cooking with honey.

Click on "read more" for the recipes

Honey-Earl Grey Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is quite possibly the easiest dessert in the world to make - it's essentially cream Jell-O. Different from the usual berries and cream, easy to make in advance, and perfect for summer, most Panna Cottas are made with whipping cream, but it's just as delicious made with half and half or 18% coffee cream.

3 cups half and half or 18% coffee cream

1-2 tsp. loose Earl Grey tea leaves (optional)

1 package plain gelatin (or 1 Tbsp. if you buy it in bulk)

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. pure vanilla (optional)

Fresh or thawed frozen berries, plain or macerated in sugar

Pour the cream into a medium pot and add the loose tea; bring to a simmer over medium heat, then take off the heat and strain into a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface, while it's hot, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the gelatin soften. Whisk until the gelatin dissolves completely, then whisk in the honey and vanilla, if you're using it.

Pour the mixture into individual wine glasses, small dishes or ramekins. (If you want to unmold them onto a plate to serve them, spray the ramekins with nonstick spray first.) Put them in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until set.

Serve in the bowls or unmolded onto a small plate and topped with fresh or puréed berries sweetened with a little honey or sugar, or thawed frozen berries in syrup. Serves 8.

Baklava

1 package phyllo sheets, thawed
4 cups walnuts or pistachios, finely chopped (or try almonds and
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch salt
1/4-1/2 cup butter, melted

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
a thick strip of lemon peel (cut a slice off with a vegetable peeler, getting mostly the outer yellow part)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, stir together the nuts, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Make sure your phyllo is completely thawed, and keep it covered with a tea towel or piece of plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Place 2 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of a rimmed baking pan or jelly roll pan (about 12″x16″) and brush lightly with butter. Add three more stacks of two sheets (it's easier to pull them off the pile two at a time), brushing with butter between each. Once you have 8 pieces of phyllo, spread a third of the nut mixture overtop.

Place 4 more sheets of phyllo on top of the nuts, brushing melted butter between each sheet or every two sheets. Repeat with another third of the nut mixture, another 4 sheets, and the rest of the nuts. Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo on top of the nuts; brush the top sheet with butter as well. Tuck in any sticking-out edges.

Cut the pastry lengthwise into four strips, then crosswise into six, making 24 pieces (they don't have to be square), making sure not to slice through the bottom layer of phyllo. (This allows the syrup to soak in better.) Make diagonal cuts through each square, making them rectangles (you'll end up with 48).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. While the baklava bakes, combine the sugar, water, honey and lemon peel in a pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and take out the lemon peel.

When the baklava comes out of the oven, immediately pour the hot syrup evenly overtop. Let the baklava stand at room temperature until completely cool. Slice through each piece completely before serving. Makes 48 pieces.