A run for your honey

On World Bee Day, here are two recipes to try where honey is the star ingredient

Grab a mug

Mug cakes have become increasingly popular during the lockdown, given how convenient they are to make. Rachel Goenka, founder of The Chocolate Spoon Company, who suggested the recipes, tells us, "Honey is the star in this particular version and I love how it lends a soft and gooey texture to the mug cake. You will want to dive straight in."

Ingredients
For the mug cake:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 medium egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt
For the frosting:
2 tbsp butter, softened
4 tbsp icing sugar
Honey (optional)

Rachel Goenka

Method
Add the butter to a mug and melt in the microwave for 10 seconds. Add the honey, egg and vanilla and beat them until combined. Add the sugar, flour and salt, and beat again until it is smooth. Microwave the mixture for around one-and-a-half minutes, and then allow it to cool to room temperature. To make the frosting, add the butter and icing sugar to another mug. Use a fork to cut the butter into the icing sugar until it is clumpy, and then beat it until fluffy. Spoon the frosting into a small piping bag and pipe a swirl on the cake. Drizzle extra honey and serve immediately.

Winging it

Making honey and chilli crispy chicken wings is as easy as apple pie. The meat has a sticky glaze and a crispy texture. "The flavours are also well-balanced with the sweetness of the honey and the heat of the chilli," says Goenka.

Ingredients
10 chicken wings
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil or regular vegetable oil

For the sauce:
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 to 3 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 tsp chopped ginger
2 tsp chilli flakes
A pinch of corn starch
3 tbsp water

Method
For the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a pan and stir the sauce continuously on medium heat till it thickens. Let the sauce cool before adding it to the chicken. For the wings: Pat the chicken wings dry and place them on a baking tray lined with foil. Dust the wings with the flour and season them with salt and pepper. Mix them up so that the wings are coated evenly with the flour; it has to be a light layer. Drizzle some olive oil or regular vegetable oil on the wings so that they don't stick to the foil and mix them. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and put the chicken wings in for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Once the chicken wings are golden, take them out of the oven and drizzle the sauce over them. Coat the wings evenly in the sauce and put them back in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the wings hot with some salad on the side.

Bee mindful

. Bees rank among the most important insects in our ecosystem when it comes to ensuring biodiversity. They play the role of pollinators, protecting a large part of our flora and fauna.

. The United Nations has declared May 20 — the birthday of Anton Janša, who pioneered the science of rearing bees in the 18th century — as World Bee Day to highlight this contribution.

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