A Taste of Honey Trivia Quiz

Answer: Baklava

Baklava is very sweet, so it is usually served in small portions, often accompanied by strong black coffee. There are many variants, as is to be expected for something prepared over such a large geographical area. The type of crushed nut used may be walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or others; some regions use sugar syrup rather than honey; rose water is a common flavoring addition, as are cinnamon and orange or lemon peel. Most versions have multiple thin layers of pastry interleaved with the sweet nutty mixture, but some have only a relatively thick pastry layer on the bottom and the top.

Answer: Ginger

While gingerbread men traditionally include ginger as a prime flavor ingredient, some recipes leave it out as being too hot, and use a mixture of ingredients such as cinnamon and cloves to create a spicy taste. Thin sheets of gingerbread can also be assembled to make a gingerbread house, and decorated to make a festive centerpiece for a holiday table.

Answer: Popcorn balls

There are a lot of different recipes for popcorn balls - I found a number that included melting marshmallows as part of the syrup, but I am going to use the recipe my mother used many years ago when she would set the three children to making Christmas tree decorations as a way of amusing us in those oh-so-long days between the end of school and the arrival of Christmas.

It is best to use popcorn that has been popped without any oil - putting it in a bag in the microwave is perfect, but commercial microwaveable popcorn often includes some oil as flavoring, and does not work as well. Pour the syrup over the popcorn and mix well. Coating your hands with butter or margarine will make it much easier to grab a handful of the mixture and form it into a sphere. For variety, you can also mix nuts through the mixture.

When we were making Christmas decorations, the final step was to wrap each ball in red or green cellophane, and use a pipe cleaner to secure the top and provide a hook.

Answer: Pumpkin muffins

My muffin tray (which is also my cupcake tray) holds the thin batter in place so that it can bake to the desired shape. Pumpkin muffins can be made more or less sweet by adjusting the amount of honey (or other sweetener) used. I like to make them with rather less honey than the recipes indicate, but then add a sweet cream cheese and honey frosting.

Answer: Marshmallows

After these ingredients have melted together, they are mixed with roasted peanuts and Rice Bubbles (Rice Krispies in other places) and pressed into a square pan to set. They can then be cut into squares or rectangles of the appropriate size for an individual serving. For a slightly more sophisticated palate, dark chocolate can be used instead of the chocolate chips.

Answer: Yes

People made ice cream and sorbet well before the development of the modern ice cream maker. The mixture needs to be placed in a freezer (all right, if you don't even have a freezer available, you do have a bit of a problem) until it is firm, but not rock-hard. Use a blender, food processor, hand mixer, or whatever to beat it until it is slushy, working quickly so it doesn't thaw. Return to the freezer to finish setting. Voila!

Answer: Apple crumble coffeecake

The cake batter can be made using applesauce to increase the apple flavor of this delicious coffeecake. This will make the cake portion moister, and help it keep longer. The ingredients of the crumble topping can be varied to taste - I love pecans with this, but other nuts can be used. I usually add cinnamon to the crumble mixture, but allspice is also nice.

Coffeecake is so called because it make a delightful accompaniment to a cup of coffee, but can be enjoyed with another beverage, or even none at all.

Answer: Pepperoni pizza

This spread is far too sweet to make a pizza topping (although I suppose it could be used to make a dessert pizza). It can be spread as a topping on plain biscuits such as shortbreads, or used to frost cupcakes. Spread should be stored in the refrigerator, for up to three months.

Heated to make it pour more easily, it can be used as an ice cream topping or drizzled over a bowl of fresh fruit. Of course, you'll need a bit of a sweet tooth to enjoy the extra chocolate in these already-sweet foods! Flavor variation can be added by stirring in a small amount of a liqueur such as Grand Marnier (orange), Creme de Menthe (mint) or Amaretto (almond).

Answer: Apple

Candied apples are a treat all year round - here in Australia, where Halloween is not a big celebration, children associate them with the circus and the annual agricultural show. The coating can vary from caramel-textured to a crisp toffee style. For an interesting variation, the apple can be rolled in crushed nuts after being coated.

Answer: Cheesecake

For a basic cheesecake, vanilla is the most common flavoring, but lemon also adds a nice touch. Fresh fruit topping provides a light contrast to the rich cheesecake. For chocaholics, chocolate cheesecake can be made by adding melted chocolate to the mixture. Substituting soft tofu for part of the cream cheese produces a treat that is lower in calories and fat than a traditional cheesecake, but with a similar taste and texture.