How Sweet It Is

Leah on the cover of the 2nd book

In earlier times, those in remote places or people without the means often used honey to sweeten instead of sugar. This happens in my third novel in the Appalachian Roots Series that's with the publisher now. Uprooted by War is set during the Civil War. Stables, including sugar, become unattainable, and Hawk shows Leah how to keep bees and gather honey. It becomes their only sweetener, until the war ends. 

Since Leah married into the Moretz family of German descent, here are two recipes she might have used, if she had the ingredients. On the last, they also ran out of flour and only had corn meal to make bread with.

German Honey Cakes


1 cup honey
1/8 cup butter or margarine
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 beaten egg yolk
1 egg white
9 ounces bread flour by weight
Boil and skim the honey. Add butter and let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve baking soda in a little water and add. Mix in beaten egg yolk and then flour. Beat egg white until stiff and fold in. Put batter in refrigerator for about 2 hours. Spoon onto greased baking sheet like cookies. Bake for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees. Makes about 3 doz.

Honey Muffins

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
Stir flour and sugar together. In a separate bowl blend the last 4 ingredients. Mix into flour until moist, but don't over stir. Spoon into greased or muffin cups with paper liners. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes or until done. Makes about 1 doz.

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