I’ve got creative ideas for cooking with honey in autumn:

1.  Goat Cheese with Honey

I’ve written this often, the simplest things are the best. Give me beautiful ingredients, prepared straightforwardly, over a fancy multi-course meal any day. David Tanis’ cooking epitomizes this way of living. In his book, A Platter of Figs, David writes that in Catalonia, goat cheese is served with local honey for a light dessert. It’s important to select a good quality, flavorful honey to pair with the creamy goat cheese. This is a great opportunity to explore the nuances of honey, from chestnut to lavender to orange blossom. A few hazelnuts or walnuts strewn across the plate makes for a lovely end to the meal.

2.  Roasted Root Vegetables

Honey is a fitting partner for slightly sweet, earthy root vegetables of autumn. Carrots, parsnips, turnips, or squash glisten with a caramelized glaze in a hot oven. Mix all the veg together, or simply roast some carrots. I like the heady fragrance of rosemary with honey-glazed root vegetables. Maybe add some spice with a little cayenne or some fresh ginger?

3.  Cantuccini

I learned of cantuccini while reading Maria Speck’s book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. According to Maria, cantuccini or “little nooks,” are small biscotti found in Tuscany. Her recipe for Honey-Almond Cantuccini combines both finely ground almond meal and whole toasted almonds with fragrant honey. This is the perfect treat to go with a cup of tea in the afternoon. I think the flavor of honey really shines in a comforting little cookie.

4.  Honey Hen

I’ve made Laura Calder’s Honey Hen from French Food at Home several times, and it’s always elegant and delicious. This is one of those dishes that feels fancy, even though it’s made with merely a chicken and 3 pantry ingredients: honey, Dijon mustard, and herbes de Provence. Heat honey in a saucepan, whisking in mustard and the dried herbs. Pour the honey sauce over a chicken cut into eight pieces and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. The author suggests serving the honey hen alongside a mound of lemony couscous.

5.  Baklava

If you’ve never tried baklava, you’re really missing out. This Turkish dessert consists of layers of crisp filo pastry, with pistachios and walnuts baked with spices like cinnamon and cloves. The baklava is baked in a ceramic dish in the oven and smothered in hot honey before serving. Find a recipe for baklava in Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Mediterranean Cooking. The Greeks have also embraced baklava, and you can find Michael Symon’s recipe at Bon Appétit.

6.  Savory Sauce for Game Birds or Lamb

In the October issue of Food & Wine, an article titled, “The Radical French-Canadian Comfort Food of Joe Beef,” shares recipes by chefs Frédéric Morin and David McMillan from Montreal. Their  Confit of Guinea Hen Legs with Prunes and Honey is slow-cooked seduction. Prunes are softened in boiling water, then drained and simmered with honey, cider vinegar, ginger, and red pepper flakes for a sauce that’s got depth and spice, perfect for cool fall nights. Guinea hen legs aren’t necessarily readily available to all, but you could adapt this for duck or lamb.

7.  Turnip and Rosemary Soup with Honey

In The Country Cooking of Ireland, Colman Andrews shares a recipe for Turnip and Rosemary Soup with Honey from chef Ian Orr of Rathmullan House. Turnips (or rutabagas) are sautéed in butter then braised in chicken stock until very tender. The turnips are puréed and flavored with rosemary and cream. The soup is served with a drizzle of heather-scented honey. You could make this soup with parsnips or even a spicy version with butternut squash.

8.  Honey in Your Salad

Martha Stewart’s recipe for Mixed Chicories with Honey Vinaigrette is spot on for delicious bittersweet flavors. The dark, bitter greens of fall and winter, like escarole and radicchio are softened by a sweet/tart honey vinaigrette. She throws fennel into the mix, and I think apple would be tasty too. The Middle Eastern inspired cookbook, Artichoke to Za’atar, includes a recipe for Honey-Roasted Pear and Walnut Salad that sounds amazing. Pears are sautéed in butter, then cloaked in warm honey flavored with cardamom, orange blossom water, and sherry. Serve the pears with haloumi cheese, roasted walnuts, and watercress (dressed with lemon juice and olive oil). What a decadent salad!

9.  Honey Ham

Fall begins the time for feasting, gathering with friends and family for big meals and celebrations. Stéphane Reynaud shares a recipe for Whole Ham with Honey and Cloves in his book, Pork and Sons. A fresh ham is left to marinate in honey, wine, and spices, then boiled, studded with cloves and finished in the oven. It’s a succulent meat that’s worth the effort. Find a version of this recipe over at Saveur.

10.  Honey Tea Cake

I received the lovely Miette cookbook by Meg Ray for my birthday this year. I’ve never visited Meg’s bakery, Miette, but I feel transported into her kitchen by the photographs of cakes and macarons and the detailed instructions of her recipes. Meg’s Honey Tea Cake was inspired by her “infatuation with honey.” I’m with her on the magic combination of honey and butter- it’s unforgettable. This is a simple pantry cake you can whip up quickly. If you don’t wait for it to cool, like Meg suggests, you could be enjoying Honey Tea Cake in an hour. Looking for a whole wheat version? Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall shares a recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Cake in River Cottage Every Day.

What is your favorite way to cook with honey? Let me know in the comments section. Click Here.