Why Honey Is The Magic Ingredient For Perfect Autumn Bakes

The fine summer is giving way to a mellow autumn, with a hint of crispness in the air and dusk setting in a little earlier. The Great British Bake Off is back on TV and all those delicious cakes, puddings, and other wonderful/slightly crazy creations might be tempting you to experiment in the kitchen.

You may feel you need that homemade sweetness and carb loading to cheer up autumn evenings but, of course, we all know that refined white sugar isn’t the best for us healthwise. 

And this is where our locally produced raw honey comes in as the superior sweetener to sugar! 

Just the right amount of moisture 

One of the biggest challenges of baking is getting the moisture balance right. Too dry and Paul Hollywood looks like he’s chewing a wasp that he’s just licked off a thistle. Too moist you’re into soggy bottom territory… cue the eye-rolling jokes.  

Honey is a natural humectant, which means that it retains moisture to keep cakes and biscuits soft, and it also has enough substance to avoid that dreaded soggy texture. It could be the magic ingredient that helps you finally bake the perfect gingerbread, flapjack or sponge.

Flavour you can actually taste

Sugar is sweet and that’s about it. 

Honey, on the other hand, brings layers of flavour: floral, fruity, nutty, a bit of chestnut, or a bit of lime, maybe, all depending on what plants and trees the bees have been visiting, bringing the sweetness alive while adding soul to the flavours. 

September honey, made from late-summer flowers, often has a richer, deeper taste, which makes it perfect for spiced cakes, fruit loaves and anything involving cinnamon.

Honey & fruit: surprisingly delicious

If cakes and biscuits aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to use honey in desserts. 

It pairs beautifully with fruits, particularly apples. Simply peel and slice some cooking apples, dust them with cinnamon and warm them in the oven. Drizzle with honey for an easy, low-calorie after-dinner treat. 

Alternatively, you could poach a dish of pears or plums with some honey and orange juice. For an extra layer of indulgence, serve with cream or Greek yoghurt and honey-baked biscuits.

A touch of class

Baking with honey generally marks you out as a person with discerning taste, even if it’s just a plate of humble flapjacks. If you want to impress your workmates or the mums at the school gate next time it’s someone’s birthday, rocking up with a honey and ginger loaf will instantly give you extra kudos. 

For autumn bakes that are tasty, perfectly textured and that will probably make Paul Hollywood smile, swap the sugar for some raw honey and add that extra taste tangent.