One of our favorite recommendations in our Honey Room is to encourage guests to experiment with honey simple syrups in cocktails because it's a fun, easy way to use honey in a way that's both special and part of everyday life. So, as soon as we tasted our new sweet-tart Elderberry Infused Honey, we knew we had to create some simple and refreshing cocktails for summer!

Usually our cocktail recipes here on the blog are a bit on the involved side, often including homemade tea / herbal infusions or several liquors. 

But the truth is a delicious cocktail doesn't need to be complicated, and this time we wanted to let our gorgeous Elderberry Honey speak for itself. 

Below, you will find a very easy recipe for honey simple syrup, as well as a few twists on classic cocktails using Elderberry Honey Simple Syrup. We recommend giving these cocktails a stir and experimenting with your own favorite flavors!

Using Elderberry Infused Honey in Cocktails

Elderberry Infused Honey Simple Syrup for Cocktails

• 1 part Elderberry Infused Honey
• 1 part hot water

Mix well until honey is fully dissolved. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

Elderberry G&T Recipe

• 1/2 ounce Elderberry Infused Honey Simple Syrup
• 2 ounces Botanical Dry Gin (London Dry works too, but we recommend a botanical gin for a refreshing summer flavor)
• Ice
• Top with Fever Tree Tonic Water
• Squeeze of Lime Juice
• Lime wedge for garnish

For a berry delicious twist on the classic G&T, stir Elderberry Infused Honey Simple Syrup, Botanical Gin, Ice, Tonic, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

Elderberry French 75 Recipe

• 1/4 ounce Elderberry Infused Honey Simple Syrup
• 1/4 ounce St Germain Elderflower Liquor
• Top with Brut Sparkling Wine

Stir and garnish with blackberries (or elderberries, if you can find them!)

Why Use Elderberry Infused Honey?

Elderberries are an amazing superfood full of antioxidants, and so is honey. Many elderberry syrups available commercially are full of added sugars needed to sweeten these naturally tart berries. Our sweet-tart Elderberry Infused Honey is a delicious and natural way to get your antioxidants or sweeten your tea or cocktails - without all the added sugar.

We knew immediately that we would be adding Elderberry Infused Honey to our cocktails this summer because its sweet-tart flavor profile is never cloying and pairs extremely well with refreshing summer flavors like lime, mint, basil, and cucumber. 

The sky is the limit with your Elderberry Honey Simple Syrup, and we can't wait to find out what you create!

 

A hit of Ghost Pepper Chili Infused Honey adds wonderful depth to this spiced chicken!  Grill or bake, we recommend this quick dish at any time of year!

 

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs 

For the Rub:
4 t sea salt
4 t cracked coriander
2 t ground green cardamom
3 t freshly chopped rosemary
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 T Ghost Pepper Honey
1 T extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. 
3. In a seperate bowl, stir the olive oil and honey together, brush over the chicken on all sides.
4. Season the chicken generously on both sides with the dry mix. 
5. Bake until the thighs read 165° and the skin is caramelized, about 40 minutes. 

 

It doesn't get better than this fall recipe: crispy roasted brussel sprouts, sliced slab bacon and a healthy drizzle of our Whiskey Barrel Aged Honey. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and spicy, it is so flavorful and so easy to make!

Ingredients:

1.75 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
7 oz slab bacon, cut into batonettes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Whiskey Barrel Aged Wildflower

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a bowl:  Toss all the ingredients together except for the Whiskey Barrel Aged Honey.  Spread onto the baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven.  Cook until crispy brown and slightly blackened.

Remove from the oven and drizzle over Whiskey Barrel Aged Wildflower Honey to serve.

 

Cornbread is a satisfying seasonal dinner accompaniment that is quick and easy to prepare.  Present it elegantly at the holidays or throw it together for a weeknight chili. We've sweetened our cornbread with honey, which is a great substitute for refined sugar, particularly when baking muffins, cakes, quick breads, and pies!  Honey contributes additional moisture to the recipe, and when it comes to this cornbread, it creates a really rich and wonderful result. We used Alfalfa Honey, because of the beautiful light florality and hint of spice.

Ingredients:

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal, medium grind 
1 c milk
1/2 c + 1 T Alfalfa Honey
1/2 t salt
1 c all-purpose flour 
2 t baking powder 
1 egg
1/3 c melted butter

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray or lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan, cast iron skillet, or muffin pan.

In a large bowl, soak cornmeal in milk for 10-15 minutes. If you are using a cast iron skillet preheat it with a little bit of butter.

Then combine flour, sugars, honey, salt and baking powder to cornmeal mixture. Stir in egg and butter until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Serve with room temperature butter and honey!

Here is our a simple yet elegant take on a fall classic, Butternut Squash Soup.  The Ghost Pepper Infused Honey adds a lively dimension to the soup and is complimented with cooling yogurt.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 small white onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 apple, cored and cubed
1 medium butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cubed
2 sprigs of fresh sage
3 cups of vegetable broth + more as needed
extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
nutmeg
Ghost Pepper Infused Honey

Procedure:

In a saucepan at medium heat, sweat the carrot and onion in olive oil until soft. Add in the apple, squash and sage.  Season with salt.  Cover with broth and cook until the butternut squash breaks apart with a spoon. Add a pinch of nutmeg.

Remove the sage and prepare a blender.  Add all the ingredients into the blender and purée until smooth.  Adjust with broth for consistency and salt for flavor.

Reheat the soup to serve.  Swirl in yogurt and drizzle Ghost Pepper Honey.

 

 

 

Celebrate the end of summer's harvest with a beautiful homemade pizza, courtesy of our friend, Darien Leigh, of @pantry.hill.  She beautifully combines the sweetness of grilled peaches, the savoriness of prosciutto and parmigiano reggiano, and the spiciness of arugula and Ghost Pepper Honey. This summer flatbread is elegant and complex, yet so easy in execution.

Ingredients:

Saratoga Tea & Honey Co. Ghost Pepper Honey

Directions:

*To grill peaches: oil grill grates. Heat grill to 500 degrees. Slice whole peaches in 4 large quarters. Place peaches flesh-side down on grill. Grill 5 minutes until peaches are warm and have char marks. Be sure not to over-cook or they’ll become mushy. Remove from grill and slice.

More than ever, this 2020 summer feels like a time of slowing down and enjoying what is around us.  Whether it's children splashing in water, crickets chirping, or the smell of the grill, simple pleasures of sharing time together seem all the more meaningful.  Darien Leigh of @pantry.hill captures this feeling of gathering with Adirondack refinement at her family's retreat up north, where they all enjoyed Ghost Pepper Honey Mojitos.  We hope you enjoy them, too, in good company.

Yields: 1 cocktail

Fine mesh strainer



Stir together until honey is dissolved.

 

We have no better honey room clientele than our local kiddos and we are delighted to offer some easy recipes for their after school snacking!

Warm Apples with Oats and Cinnamon Infused Honey

2 small apples cored and cut into segments
2 T oats
1 T butter

Cinnamon Infused Honey to taste

Procedure:  In a small microwave-safe bowl add the apples, butter and oats.  Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until the butter has melted and the apples have slightly softened.  Drizzle with Cinnamon Infused Honey and serve!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1/2 c canned pumpkin
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
2 T almond butter
2 t Buckwheat Honey
1 t Pumpkin Pie Spice

Procedure:  Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Nut-Free Granola with Saratoga Wildflower Honey

1 c pumpkin seeds
1 c gluten free oats
1 c coconut flakes
1/2 c quinoa
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c flax seeds
1/4 c chia seeds
1/4 t sea salt
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c Saratoga Wildflower Honey

 Procedure:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the honey until it becomes less viscose.  Pour the honey and the olive oil over the dry ingredients and mix well.  Line a sheet tray with parchment and spread evenly.  Bake for 15 minutes, turn with a spoon and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes more.  Serve with yogurt, ice cream or milk!

Apples with Cheddar, Walnuts, and Cranberry Blossom Honey

2 small apples
local cheddar, sliced
walnuts
Cranberry Blossom Honey to taste

Procedure:  Plate all ingredients to your fancy!  Enjoy!

 

Almond Butter Rice Cakes with Alfalfa Honey

3 c roasted almonds
3 dried dates
2 T Alfalfa Honey + more to drizzle
1/4 t sea salt

Procedure:  Blend all ingredients in a food processor until creamy, about 10- 15 minutes.  Serve almond butter on your favorite cracker, rice cake or bread and drizzle more Alfalfa Honey to taste!