Honey Gingerbread

by Anne Papina on January 5, 2007

Image: honey(ARA) – Nothing compares to the warm, sweet aroma of freshly baked treats on a cold winter day. From gingerbread cookies to pumpkin spice bread, desserts are one of the hallmarks of this festive time of year. This holiday season, be sure to spoil your family and friends with extra moist and flavorful cookies, cakes and breads made with pure honey.

Pure honey is often used by professional bakers throughout the year and is a natural sweetener that imparts a delicious and distinctive flavor, creating decadent desserts and sweet treats.

Adding all-natural, pure honey to all your baked goods ensures a soft, moist texture and also acts as a natural preservative. Honey is known to absorb moisture from the air and lock it into any baked good, helping prolong the fresh taste. Remember to read the label to make sure you purchase 100 percent, pure honey.

Most people aren’t aware that honey only has 21 calories per teaspoon. And, because honey has a 33 percent higher sweetening power than other sweeteners, less honey is needed. So, go ahead and indulge this holiday season!

Substituting honey for granulated sweeteners in baking is easy. Substitute pure honey for up to half the granulated sweetener in a recipe. For each 1 cup of honey used in your recipe simply:

  • Reduce each liquid by 1/4 cup
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees F to prevent over-browning

Remember to coat your measuring cup with a non-stick cooking spray for easy honey measuring. To keep these tips top-of-mind, the National Honey Board is offering a free “Sweet Honey Exchange” refrigerator magnet with easy-to-follow instructions. To request a free magnet, write your name and mailing address on a 3×5 card and send to P.O. Box 14638, Madison, WI 53708-0638 or e-mail the information to honeyexchange@stephanbrady.com.

For delicious recipes and helpful tips for baking and cooking with honey, visit www.honey.com, or to find a locally produced or special honey variety, visit www.honeylocator.com.

Honey Gingerbread
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Contributed with permission by the National Honey Board and ARA Content.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups pure honey, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 2-1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ cup boiling water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pans.
  2. In a bowl, cream together butter and ½ cup honey. Mix in egg.
  3. In a medium bowl, blend together flour, ginger, baking soda and cinnamon. In a small bowl, blend remaining 1 cup honey with boiling water.
  4. With mixer running, add ⅓ dry mixture to creamed butter mixture. When dry mixture is incorporated completely, add ⅓ liquid mixture. Continue adding ingredients in batches, alternating the dry and liquid.
  5. Turn batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Notes
Makes 2 loaves.

 

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