2022 Honey Recipe Contest Winners

Every year, the Farmers’ Almanac selects an ingredient and asks readers to submit original recipes for a cash prize cooking contest! In 2022, the theme was honey. (We asked that each recipe included at least 2 tablespoons.)

A Sweet Surprise

We knew honey was an amazing ingredient for a variety of dishes, but we were pleasantly surprised by the wide range of creative submissions. Our readers outperformed any expectations! We were also wowed by the number of entries, including many from overseas.

Congratulations To The Winners

Thank you to everyone who sent in recipes. Congratulations to our winners: Cameron Livesay of Sykesville, Maryland, Margee Berry of White Salmon, Washington, and Mary Shivers of Ada, Oklahoma. (Each of their prize winning recipes are listed below.)

Special Thanks

Special thanks to The Green Ladle Culinary Arts School of Lewiston, Maine, for lending their aspiring student-chefs to prepare each of the final recipes for judging. Special thanks also to the Lewiston Regional Technical Center students who photographed the winning recipe dishes!

The following three recipes were the Farmers’ Almanac judges’ top picks. We highly recommend that you give them a try!

The Farmers’ Almanac 2022 Prize-Winning Recipes

1st Place: Honey Churro Cookies

Submitted by Cameron Livesay of Sykesville, Maryland

5 from 1 vote

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Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course cookies

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2¾ cup flour
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• Mix of 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon, divided

Cookie Frosting

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 3 tbsp. heavy cream
• drizzle honey

Instructions

 

For the Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Cream butter and both sugars.
• Add egg, honey, and vanilla until combined.
• Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
• Gently mix all ingredients until smooth; do not over mix.
• With a medium-sized dough scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls.
• Using half of the cinnamon sugar mix, coat each ball by rolling in the cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Flatten each ball to a 1/2-inch-tall disc and bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Allow to cool.

For the frosting

• Mix butter, sifted powdered sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, and cream until desired consistency. You can add a little more cream if needed.
• Use a piping bag to frost cookies.
• Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar and drizzle with honey.
• Store at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Keyword honey churro cookies

2nd Place: Poached Pear Salad with Browned Honey Vinaigrette

Submitted by Margee Berry of White Salmon, Washington

5 from 1 vote

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Course Salad

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 saucepan medium
• 1 skillet small

Ingredients

  

Pear Salad

• 1 cup water
• 2 teabags, chai-flavored
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 ripe, firm pear, peeled, quartered, and cored
• 1 5-oz. bag mixed-baby greens
• 2-oz. crumbled goat cheese
• ¼ cup honey-roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp. dried sweetened cranberries
• Fresh cracked black pepper

Browned Honey Vinaigrette

• 1½ tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. shallots, minced
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey dijon mustard

Instructions

 

Pear Salad

• Bring water to a slight boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the tea bags, honey, and pear pieces.
• Continue to boil for 3 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, cover with lid, and set aside for 8 minutes.
• Remove pear from pan and place on paper towels to drain.
• When pear has cooled, pat dry, then thinly slice lengthwise.
• Evenly distribute baby greens onto 4 salad plates.
• Next, arrange pear slices on each plate.
• Sprinkle goat cheese, almonds, and cranberries on top.
• Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette and top off with fresh cracked pepper.
• Makes 4 salads.

Browned Honey Vinaigrette

• In a small skillet, heat honey and shallots over medium heat, swirling skillet often until honey starts to brown and smell nutty.
• Remove from heat, whisk in olive oil, vinegar, and mustard.
• Let vinaigrette cool slightly before drizzling over salad.

3rd Place: Honey-Wrapped Golden Chicken with Honey Asparagus Balsamic

Submitted by Mary Shivers of Ada, Oklahoma

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

Honey-Wrapped Golden Chicken

• 3 (5-6 oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
• ¾ cup honey divided
• ¼ cup unsalted butter melted 
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 3 tsp. parsley flakes
• Non-stick cooking spray

Honey Asparagus Balsamic

• 1 lb. fresh asparagus, well-trimmed
• 1½ tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

Instructions

 

Honey-Wrapped Golden Chicken

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
• Set aside.
• Place thighs in a pie plate.
• Place panko in a separate pie plate.
• Use an immersion blender to puree ¼ cup honey, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Pour over thighs, turning to evenly coat.
• Roll each in panko.
• Place 1-inch apart, skin side up, in the center of the parchment-lined pan.
• Sprinkle with remaining panko.
• Then sprinkle evenly with parsley flakes.
• Holding can about 6 inches away, spray tops with cooking spray until panko is lightly coated.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

Honey Asparagus Balsamic

• Place asparagus in a pie plate.
• Mix 2 tbsp honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper together.
• Drizzle evenly over asparagus, turning to coat.
• Spread asparagus evenly around partially baked chicken. 
• Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes more.
• Divide amongst four serving plates.
• Divide remaining honey into four small ramekins and add one to each plate for drizzling over chicken.
• Serve immediately.

Keyword Honey-Wrapped Golden Chicken with Honey Asparagus Balsamic

Enter Farmers’ Almanac 2023 Recipe Contest!

Do you like to cook? Is there an original recipe passed down by a family member that deserves to be put in print?

Blueberries are the ingredient for the 2023 contest. Submit your recipe today for a chance at a cash prize and the fame of being printed in the next edition of Farmers’ Almanac.

Farmers' Almanac Staff

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