Rebecca's Sweet Recipes
* Baklava
* Dale's Honey Cornbread Cookies
* Espresso Martini Made with Love
* Coffee Saint Gobnait
* Honey Cream Apple Pear Pie
* Cappuccino Della Rocca
* Vera Stanhope, Meet Nancy Drew
More to Come....
BAKLAVA
I found this recipe in the late 90's in Good Housekeeping. It is so easy to make and is to this day the best baklava I have ever had. I still have the clipping and almost had a heart attack when I thought I lost it once! We all know that a perfect version of a recipe is irreplaceable (alas my chocolate cake).
​I so hope you enjoy this baklava and that it becomes a tradition in your home.
4 cups walnuts, finely chopped (I use only pistachios)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 16-ounce package fresh or frozen (thawed) phyllo pastry
1 cup of butter (Don't scrimp on this....It's why God made cows.)
1 kg jar of Love My Bees honey :)
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About 2 hours before serving or early in the day:
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1. Grease 13" by 9" baking dish. In large bowl, with spoon, mix chopped pistachios, sugar, and cinnamon until blended.
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2. Cut phyllo into 13" by 9" rectangles. In baking dish, place 1 sheet of phyllo; brush with some butter. Repeat to make 5 more layers of phyllo; sprinkle with 1 cup of pistachio mixture.
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3. Place one sheet of phyllo in baking dish over pistachio mixture; brush with butter. Repeat to make at least 6 layers, over-lapping any small strips of phyllo to make rectangles, if necessary. Sprinkle 1 cup pistachio mixture over phyllo. Repeat layering two more times.
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4. Place remaining phyllo on top of last pistachio layer; brush with margarine or butter. With sharp knife, cut just halfway through the layers in triangle pattern to make 24 servings. Bake in 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.
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5. In small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat honey until hot but not boiling. Spoon hot honey over Baklava. Cool in pan on wire rack at least 1 hour, then cover and leave at room temperature until serving.
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6. To serve, with sharp knife, finish cutting through layers. Makes 24 servings. Each serving is about 300 calories (but ever so worth it!).
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Dale's Honey Cornbread Cookies​​
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A lovely friend made these for me recently, using my honey. Oh my! You can actually taste the honey! They are sooooooo delicious and perfect, not just for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but also those warm summer days when you want something that brings back memories of family in the kitchen and little ones wanting to lick the beaters before the cookies were even in the oven - truly simpler times and days with people I loved. My mama would have loved these.
In the winter, having one with a cup of chamomile tea will take me back to the sunshine of my bee yard. Thank you, Dale!
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Honey Cornbread Cookies - Yield 2 dozen
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (cut in half if you use salted butter)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup Love My Bees honey
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 tbsp granulated sugar (for rolling)
1 tbsp cornmeal (for rolling)
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Instructions:
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In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
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Mix the butter and both sugars in a separate bowl (if using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix on medium to high for 1 -2 minutes - Dale mixes by hand. I use a hand mixer).
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Scrape down sides of bowl and add honey. Mix until fully incorporated. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Mix for another minute.
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Add dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Scrape down sides.
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Portion the dough (30 g) and roll into balls. Chill in fridge in an airtight container for at least one hour. Overnight is best.
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar and cornmeal to roll the balls in. Allow room on the cookie sheet, as they will spread. Bake for 11-14 minutes until cookies are golden on the bottom and beginning to form cracks on top. For a chewier cookie, do not overbake. ​Cool completely on wire rack, then store in an air-tight container. Hello sunshine! Enjoy.
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