Pancake Puff with Fresh Berries

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

It is finally starting to feel like spring in the Midwest, hurrah! All of the flowering trees in my neighborhood decided to bloom seemingly overnight and the world is back in color. When the tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths pop up, I make a mental note that I need to hurry up and hit our local nursery before Mother's Day rolls around and all of the good flats of flowers and hanging baskets have been scooped up. I always get both of our moms a few hanging baskets of flowers for Mother's Day, but for myself I always preferred when the family would bring me breakfast in bed over other tangible gifts.  For someone who made all of the meals and had to deal with kitchen cleanup daily, it was always nice to have the tables turned. So as I was scrolling through Golden Blossom Honey's recipes recently, I came upon this Pancake Puff with Fresh Berries recipe that I thought would make for a really lovely surprise for mom on her special day. 

This is a one-pan recipe that is super easy to prepare, so with minimal help, even the littles can pitch in to bake up this special breakfast for mom. While it does say pancake in the title, this does not have the same texture as your traditional pancake. It's a lot more dense and chewy, which I absolutely loved since I'm not an overly huge fan of pancakes that always seem too bready. Served with sweet berries and a dollop of whipped cream, and a cup of her favorite tea or coffee, this is a breakfast truly worthy of honoring mom for all of the sacrifices she makes for her family every day. 

Ingredients

Pancake:

2 tablespoons butter

6 eggs

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Berries:

2 cups fresh berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries or raspberries)

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

When do you usually make your first trip of the season to the local greenhouse? 

Toasted Oatmeal Carrot Cookies

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

I posted a lovely recipe last week for Passover, but I couldn't let the month go by without sharing something sweet for Easter as well. I usually take my own version of Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs to the family dinner, but ever since I stuffed peanut butter balls with  brussel sprouts for an April Fool's prank a few years back when Easter fell on April 1, the family hasn't been too keen on my peanut butter desserts. Hilarious at the time, but now I'm left searching for new recipes every year to pop on the dessert table. (Truth be told, I'd do it all over again because I still giggle thinking about how mad they were at the prank lol). I can never go wrong with my soft batch chocolate chip cookies because that's my #1 most requested dessert (you can find that recipe in the search bar to the right), but I just made those for my mil's birthday and wanted to contribute something more suited for the Easter/spring season and ultimately decided that I'll be taking Toasted Oatmeal Carrot Cookies, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, this year. 

While I'll never turn away any cookie, I am more prone to reach for a soft baked cookie over a crisp one, so these immediately piqued my interest. I love a good carrot cake, but have never had carrot cookies before, so I was eager to give these a try. They had a perfect blend of sweet and warm flavors and indeed baked up soft and chewy, moving them to the top of my favorite springtime cookie recipes. I wouldn't go as far as calling them healthy, because a cookie is still a cookie after all, but with the oats, raisins, and carrots, we could call this a breakfast cookie, and since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, that makes these cookies a great way to start the day, no? Don't rain on my parade and answer that. Just let me live my life, one breakfast cookie at a time. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry oats (not instant)

3/4 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 egg white

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup prune pie filling

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 cup grated carrot

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

Do you prefer crispy or chewy cookies? 

Almond Mandelbrot

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

I usually focus on Easter recipes this time of the year, but thought since I do have some readers who celebrate Passover, it would be nice to share a dessert for those who will be celebrating that instead. I've been wanting to try my hand at making biscotti for the past few years, but I never did get around to it. So when I saw this Almond Mandelbrot recipe on Golden Blossom Honey, which was described as being similar to biscotti, and I noticed that they tagged it for Passover, I figured now was as good of a time as any to give it a whirl.  

This is a delicious dessert that was a lot easier to make than I had anticipated. And you know I love me an easy to follow recipe! While it is quite similar to biscotti, the noticeable difference would be where biscotti is more crisp and suitable for dunking, the mandlebrot was softer and a bit chewier. Still ok for a quick dunk in the tea or coffee, but don't let it soak in the liquid. I do think that a change I will make next time is swapping whole almonds for either sliced or slivered. I found the whole almonds made it tougher to cut through into nice, even strips. I also found them to bit a bit overwhelming when it came to the dough/almond ratio where texture is concerned. While it wasn't called for in the recipe, I do like to dress my desserts up when I think they are a bit on the plain side, and made a call to drizzle a citrus glaze on top for a touch of class. Just a little powder sugar and orange juice mixed together is all you need for a pretty glaze. My daughter knows the rule about not touching my honey recipes until photos have been taken, and it tested her patience to have to wait to get her share of these delectable treats. And boy did she have her fair share when given the all clear! It's definitely a keeper of a recipe if there ever was one. These will be so perfect for the upcoming Passover and Easter celebrations, or for any occasion. Or non-occasion. Because you never need a reason to treat yourself to a sweet snacky snack! 

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated

1/4 cup margarine, softened (Kosher for Passover)

1 cup matzo meal

1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY, divided in half

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup almonds, whole

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

Are you a fan of biscotti and similar treats? 

Savory Glazed Ham

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

I usually have a solid take on what Golden Blossom Honey recipes that I bring to you each week since they are always my first choice when I am looking for meal inspiration. This week though, I figured that while my family doesn't eat it, I'd still throw a ham recipe into the mix for those of you who will be celebrating the upcoming Easter holiday this month. I've went a little heavy on the vegetarian offerings this year so far, and we do like to keep things well rounded around these parts, so ham was the obvious choice to break things up a bit. I saw this Savory Glazed Ham recipe on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe index and thought the glaze sounded interesting. I used to make my own brown sugar and pineapple glaze when we would host Easter at our place, but their option offered a savory flavor profile compared to my sweet and I was intrigued. 

 

 

Even though I am not a ham eater, I do adore roasted pineapple. Even better when they have a yummy glaze coated on them! This glaze still offered a touch of the sweet that I'm used to because of the honey, but it was toned down quite a bit with the addition of the other ingredients. I was a little curious about the Worcestershire sauce and coffee granules, but ended up pleasantly surprised with how much I adored this glaze. I also liked the rich coloring it left on the meat. I did take this ham to a family in need so it wouldn't go to waste and got such positive feedback on the flavor, I am going to send the recipe to my in-laws as a suggestion for their Easter meal this year. My half ham cooked up in 45 minutes, so with prep you can have your main dish on the table in just under 1 hour. It's perfect for small family gatherings, and if you end up with leftovers, the savory flavors would be really great in a pot of ham and bean soup.
 

Ingredients

4-5 pound fully cooked boneless ham half

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple slices, drained

Glaze:

1 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons dry mustard

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

Do you like your glaze more savory or sweet? 

Spring Carrot Soup

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

Spring is finally here and I am loving the longer, brighter days that have been presenting themselves to us. I've also noticed that my tulips and hyacinths are just starting to peek through the ground and that makes me excited that the world will be in colorful bloom in just a few short weeks. But even with the sunny days, there is still a nip in the air, so it's not time to shelve all of the soup recipes yet. There are so many great soup options that are perfect for spring days that still have a bit of a bite in them, like this Spring Carrot Soup. This is a Golden Blossom Honey recipe that you'll be glad to have on hand throughout the season.  

This is a light soup that won't weigh you down, but you'll still feel full and satisfied after a bowl. For there being minimal ingredients, it's packed full not only in flavor, but in nutrients also. Like with most Golden Blossom Honey recipes, this is another that doesn't take a lot of prep or cook time. I actually made the first half the night before, then added the milk and reheated the following day for lunch. So this is a great make-ahead meal if you know you're going to be short on time the following day. While this recipe is written to eat the soup warm, I ate a bowl cold, fresh out of the fridge and found that I enjoyed it equally, so it will transition perfectly into the summer months for those who love a cold soup as well. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of carrots, about 1 pound

1 baking potato

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped shallots

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

Garnish

plain yogurt or sour cream

chopped scallions or chives

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

What's your favorite springtime soup? 

Whipped Lemon Nutmeg Sweet Potatoes

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

If you know me, you know that I love simple recipes. I also love sweet potatoes, but I find that most recipes that include them aren't very quick or simple. I think my main problem with them is they are much harder for me to peel than a russet or a yukon, and they take longer to dice as well. So, I usually only bake them whole, then scoop out the pulp, mix with butter and cheese and call that good as far as my culinary skills with sweet potatoes go. But I saw this Whipped Lemon Nutmeg Sweet Potatoes recipe on Golden Blossom Honey not too long ago and thought it sounded interesting. I don't think I've ever thought to pair lemon and sweet potatoes, so that was a bit unique in my mind. Plus, it was labeled as a microwave recipe, so I figured that alone meant that it wasn't going to be too hard to toss together. 

My mom likes to bake canned sweet potatoes with marshmallows and I think I've mentioned it here before before that combo never sat well with me. I know it's a popular pairing, but I just can't get behind it. The addition of lemon did cause me to raise my eyebrows a bit, but the nutmeg I knew that I was going to love sprinkled in. In the end, the grated lemon zest was a fantastic contrast to the warm, earthy flavors that make up most of this recipe. It wasn't overpowering in the least, but gave it just the right amount of oomph to jazz up the sweet potatoes. Let's talk about ease of getting this dish to completion. If you have 10 minutes, that's all the time you need to have this prepped, zapped, and on the table ready to go. It's a great side dish for weeknight meals or swap out your regular mashed potatoes and gravy at Easter dinner this year for a delicious upgrade on a holiday favorite. 

Ingredients

2 (23 oz) cans sweet potatoes

1/4 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

3 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

  

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

What potatoes do you like best served mashed?