7 Ways With Honey

The next time you spoon honey into your cup of tea, think outside the mug and try using it in a main dish or side. Distinctly different than other sweeteners, honey adds a unique flavor buzz and subtle sweetness to everything from appetizers to baked goods to Asian-style sauces.

Golden raisins soaked in orange liqueur are spooned onto a wheel of Brie cheese, drizzled with honey, and baked for 15 minutes. While the cheese dish only takes a few minutes to prepare, the presentation is outstanding, making it ideal for drop-by guests. Serve the mouthwatering appetizer with crackers, toasted baguette slices, pears or apples.

Recipe: Baked Honey-Raisin Brie

This refreshing side salad combines endive and apple slices with toasted pecans and crumbled blue cheese to hit all the right flavor notes from salty to tangy to sweet. The homemade three-ingredient honey vinaigrette makes a nice dressing for just about any salad, so keep the ingredients on hand for other occasions.

Recipe: Apple and Endive Salad With Honey Vinaigrette

Chicken salad gets a fancy makeover with the addition of toasted pecans, dried cranberries, diced celery and a simple dressing of honey and mayonnaise. This version is easy to prepare and tastes great sandwiched between bread or served solo on a bed of mixed greens.

Recipe: Honey Chicken Salad

After some quick prep work, pork tenderloin marinates for a half hour in a sweet-salty mixture of honey, soy sauce, and hoison, a Chinese dipping sauce. Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes, steam a quick green side, and an upscale Asian dinner is ready in a flash.

Recipe: Honey-Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

Roasting carrots, parsnips, turnips and sweet potatoes at a high temperature for 35 minutes brings out their sweetness, but it's the tupelo honey-olive oil glaze coating these root vegetables that makes the side dish extra special. Serve it alongside pork, steak, or chicken to make any weeknight dinner feel extravagant.

Recipe: Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

A rich-tasting gelato, made the traditional Italian way, with an easy-to-cook custard that's frozen in a countertop or crank ice cream maker, can satisfy the sweet tooth all year round. Try it solo as a light ending note to any meal, or serve it atop hot apple pie or toasted slices of pound cake for a flavor-packed treat.

Recipe: Honey Gelato

If the aroma of sweet honey and baking bread doesn't win your taste buds over as these rolls cook, the addictive flavor of a hot roll spread with homemade honey butter will do the trick. These are the kind of dinner rolls that disappear as soon they come out of the oven. Make a double batch and freeze the extra baked rolls for later.

Recipe: Honey Yeast Rolls