It’s hard to imagine anything more pure and natural than one-ingredient honey. Produced by bees from the nectar of plants and flowers, honey essentially flows from hive to the table. With more than 300 different honey varietals found in the United States, all with a unique color and flavor, you are sure to find a honey varietal you will love.
The journey of honey begins with humble honey bees. Whether buzzing in their hives or foraging for nectar in wide open fields, honey bees are a critical component of today’s agricultural market. They perform the vital function of pollination, or the transferring of pollen from plant to plant, thus fertilizing the plants and enabling them to bear fruit. In fact, about one-third of the U.S. diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and honey bees are responsible for about 80 percent of that process. Major crops that depend on honey bees for pollination consist of almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries – the list goes on and on.
For centuries, honey has been thought of as a kitchen staple, but honey is so much more than a culinary ingredient. Honey’s versatility is endless, spanning the bathroom vanity, the gym and even the medicine cabinet. Honey is a humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture, thus giving your skin a natural glow and the perfect ingredient to add to your beauty routine. Honey is also an effective and all-natural energy booster, containing approximately 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon. Finally, honey has been used for centuries as a natural cough suppressant, helping to soothe and relieves the irritation of a cough.
All the wonderful benefits of honey could not be made possible without the incredible honey bee. The National Honey Board is committed to finding ways to help beekeepers maintain the health of their honey bees and was among the first to provide funding for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) research in early 2007. Since 2004, the National Honey Board has funded multiple honey bee health research projects every year, which can be found on our website www.honey.com.
Without the honey bees hard work in pollinating the blueberries, these Blueberry Muffins with Salted Honey Crumble wouldn’t be possible. Honey acts as a humectant, helping to retain and attract moisture, leaving these muffins soft and moist. These muffins would make the perfect addition to your breakfast meal or a great snack throughout the day.
Blueberry Muffins with Salted Honey Crumble
Ingredients
For Crumble:
½ cup – light brown sugar
10 tablespoons – unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons – clover honey
½ teaspoon – vanilla extract
1¼ cup – all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons – kosher salt
For Muffins:
2 cups – all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons – baking powder
½ teaspoon – kosher salt
1 cup – sugar
½ cup – unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons – honey (use a mild, light varietal)
1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
2 – large eggs
½ cup – milk
2 cups – fresh blueberries
Directions
For the salted honey crumble: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, butter, clover honey and vanilla; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed just until the mixture comes together and develops a sandy texture. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes.
For the muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 12 muffin cups and dust with flour. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar, butter, honey and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and mix well; stir in milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in blueberries using a rubber spatula. Scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about three-fourths full. Sprinkle each top with 1 tablespoon of the salted honey crumble. Bake on the center rack of oven until golden, about 30 to 35 minutes.
The National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs.