honey – Brownie Mischief

Honey Butter Pumpkin Cake

Posted on October 2, 2025February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

This subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, soft pumpkin cake, with a touch of honey, is perfect for those autumn pumpkin-spice cravings. The delicious honey butter glaze gives this cake the perfect balance and helps to keep it moist for days. The recipe is easy enough to make as a breakfast cake, but elegant enough for afternoon tea. I decorated my cake, fairy-style, with edible flowers and roasted, salted pumpkin seeds. It’s also delicious served with dollops of whipped cream.

Honey Butter Pumpkin Cake

by Mari Vasseur

Subtly sweet and perfectly spiced soft, moist single layer pumpkin cake topped with honey butter glaze

Print Recipe

Course Brunch, Dessert

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
⅔ cup (150ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 tablespoons (42g) honey
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (227g) canned pure pumpkin purée not pie filling

Honey Butter Glaze

¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
2 tablespoons (42g) honey
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste

Instructions

Pumpkin Cake

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well blended, Beat in the pumpkin purée. Stir in the flour mixture by hand, just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 33-40 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool the cake in the pan for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

Honey Butter Glaze

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the orange juice, powdered sugar and salt until smooth and well blended. Add additional salt to taste if desired. Brush the glaze generously over the warm cake.

Keyword cake, honey butter, pumpkin

Honey Caramel Popcorn

Posted on October 9, 2024February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Autumn is my favorite time of year to make caramel popcorn. That’s when the weather start to get cooler and we love curling up in a blanket with some snacks to watch a movies. Honey Caramel Popcorn has a buttery, sweet, earthy flavor that brings back memories of past fall seasons. It’s easy to make and fun to share. I added roasted almonds to mine but you can use your favorite nuts or leave them out if you wish.

If you want to share your Honey Caramel Popcorn, place it in food safe treat bags. I created some free printable labels that you can add to your treat bags. To get the free printables, click here.

Honey Caramel Popcorn

by Mari Vasseur

Honey caramel coated popcorn with roasted almonds

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

12 cups (110-120g) popped popcorn
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons (126g) honey
2 tablespoons (30ml) light corn syrup
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (56g) roasted, salted almonds, honey roasted salted almonds or any nuts of your choice
Sea salt for sprinkling optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200ºF (95Cº). Line a large baking sheet with nonstick parchment paper or a silicone mat, such as a silpat.* Place the popcorn in an extra-large lightly greased bowl. Wipe out any excess oil or grease with a paper towel.
In a medium-size, heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup and salt together, stirring gently. When the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam up. Remove from heat.
Carefully pour half of the caramel mixture over the popcorn. Stir gently, then add the almonds. Stir again. Pour the remaining caramel over the popcorn. Stir once more. Transfer the caramel popcorn to the baking sheet, arranging it in an even layer. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste if desired.

Notes

To find my favorite large baking sheets, click here.

To find a silicone mat, click here.

Keyword caramel popcorn, snacks

Mini Baklava Cheesecakes

Posted on March 29, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

These Mini Baklava Cheesecakes are so cute and incredibly delicious that they actually made me mad! I’d been thinking about making them for awhile, so I was mad at myself for not making them sooner. They’re much quicker and easier to make than a full size cheesecake. I par-baked the buttered phyllo dough, then topped it with a nut mixture. I used a combination of pistachios and almonds, but you can use any combination of pistachios, almonds or walnuts of your choice. After I baked the cheesecakes, I soaked the phyllo shells with honey syrup.Yum!

I topped them with little nests made of kataifi, which are so cute and perfect for Easter. Kataifi is thinly shredded phyllo pastry. You can find it in the freezer section of supermarkets and international markets. Toasted coconut makes a good substitute if you can’t find kataifi. These cute cheesecakes are also pretty topped with edible flowers or rose petals, which would be perfect for Mother’s Day or any springtime celebration.

Mini Baklava Cheesecakes

Mini cheesecakes with a baklava base, topped with kataifi nests

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 12 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients

Honey Syrup

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (177ml) water
3 tablespoons (63g) honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mini Cheesecakes

1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, melted and divided
10 9 x 14-inch phyllo dough sheets, thawed
½ cup (57g) finely chopped toasted pistachios, almonds or walnuts or a combination of nuts of your choice (I used pistachios and almonds.)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature

Kataifi Nests

1 16 ounce (454g) package kataifi phyllo pastry, thawed You'll need about 1/4 of the package.
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
18-24 candy eggs I used Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Instructions

Honey Syrup

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, water, honey and lemon juice, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Mini Cheesecakes

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Brush the insides of a 12-serving muffin pan with melted butter.
Place a sheet of phyllo dough on your work surface. Brush it lightly with melted butter. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first one and brush it lightly with melted butter. Repeat this process until you have 5 sheets. Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the phyllo into 6 squares, measuring about 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches each. Repeat this process with the five remaining phyllo sheets. Make sure to keep your unused phyllo sheets covered while you work to prevent them from drying out.
Place the phyllo squares into the cups of the muffin pan. Press them in with a pastry tamper or with the flat bottom of a small shot glass. Prick the bottoms of the phyllo with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 14-17 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted butter and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until well combined.
Turn the oven heat down to 325ºF (165ºF). Place about a tablespoon of the nut mixture into the baked pyllo shells and press lightly with the back of a spoon.
To make the cheesecake filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, the egg, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and well combined, but do not over beat.
Ladle the cheesecake mixture into the phyllo shells over the nuts. Fill them almost to the top. Bake until the cheesecakes are set, but still slightly jiggly in the centers, about 13-15 minutes.
Using a small offset spatula, gently loosen the cheesecakes from the muffin pan. Drizzle honey syrup generously along the perimeter of the outside of the cheesecakes, letting the syrup drip down the sides of the phyllo pastry. Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan. When the cheesecakes have cooled and the syrup has absorbed, transfer the cheesecakes to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Kataifi Nests

Turn the oven temperature up to 350ºF (180ºC). Brush an 8 x 8-inch or a 9 x 7-inch baking dish with melted butter. Roll clusters of kataifi stands into twelve 2-inch wide spiral shapes to form the nests. Place them in the baking dish. Drizzle the nests with melted butter. Gently brush more melted butter over the surface of the nests. Bake until golden brown, about 25-35 minutes. Immediately drizzle with honey syrup. Let the nests cool in the baking pan.
Place the nests onto the cheesecakes. Fill the nests with candy eggs.

Notes

To find the muffin pan I used, click here.

Keyword baklava, cheesecake

Chai Spice Honey Butter

Posted on March 4, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Chai Spice Honey Butter

Print Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons (63g) honey
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
⅛ teaspoon grund cloves
Pinch ground star anise
Pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Keyword chai spice honey butter, condiments

Blueberry Cornmeal Tea Cakes with Honey Butter Icing

Posted on February 17, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you’re looking forward to spring as much as I am, you’ll love these tender, fluffy Blueberry Cornmeal Tea Cakes. They taste like soft, sweet cornbread with the added freshness of juicy blueberries. The Honey Butter Icing adds the perfect, sweet finish. Who doesn’t love cornbread slathered with honey and butter? It’s a match made in heaven and it works so well on these delightful tea cakes.

I placed them upside down because they look more pretty and elegant that way. I added some fresh, pesticide free violas to the tops. They would also be cute decorated with fresh blueberries or chamomile flowers.

This versatile recipe can also be made into muffins by filling the muffin pan cups 2/3 full instead of 1/2 full. The baking time may be a little longer. Place the muffins right side up on the cooling rack.

To see the inside of the tea cakes, watch the TikTok video. Click here.

Blueberry Cornmeal Tea Cakes with Honey Butter Icing

Sweet, soft cornbread cakes with blueberries, topped with honey butter icing

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

Blueberry Cornmeal Tea Cakes

1 ¼ cups (159g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons (130g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (36g) cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup (170g) sour cream
¼ cup (57ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 small lemon
1 cup (170g) blueberries

Honey Butter Icing

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch fine sea salt
1-2 tablespoons whole milk or half and half

Instructions

Blueberry Cornmeal Tea Cakes

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour a 12-serving muffin pan*.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, butter, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Don't over mix. A few lumps are okay. Fold in the blueberries.
Fill the muffin cups half full. Bake until the tops of the cakes are light golden, the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 14-16 minutes.
Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place them upside down on a cooling rack. Top the cooled cakes with Honey Butter Icing.

Honey Butter Icing

In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, honey, salt and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Whisk until smooth.

Notes

To find the muffin pan I used, click here.

Keyword blueberry, cake, cornbread

Blackberry Honey Butter

Posted on September 21, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Blackberry Honey Butter

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Ingredients

⅓ cup (57g) ripe blackberries
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons (63g) honey
1 pinch fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

Place the blackberries in a small bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Let the blackberries macerate at least 30 min. then smash them with a fork. Drain off any excess liquid.
In a medium-size bowl, beat the butter and honey together until smooth and well combined. Add salt to taste. Fold the blackberries into honey butter. Transfer the blackberry butter to a covered storage container or spread it on plastic wrap and form it into a log. Refrigerate until ready to use. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to three months.

Keyword blackberry honey butter

Lavender Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Honey Buttercream

Posted on June 23, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Lavender and honey go so well together. Bees know it, fairies know it, princesses know it. The flavor combination is so delightful in these cookies, that I decided to share them with you. In addition to delicious, compatible flavors, these cookies have a divine texture combination. The shortbread cookies have a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Together with the silky, smooth honey buttercream, they’ll make you feel fancy and regal. You’ll hold your head up higher, ring for your tea and declare that you do indeed deserve fine things!

Some people are nervous about baking with lavender because they don’t want their baked goods to taste like soap or perfume. That can be a concern if the lavender flavor is too pronounced. However, if you don’t use enough you won’t be able to taste it at all. There’s a fine balance. If you use the right amount, it will taste pleasant and have sweet undertones. I used two teaspoons of culinary lavender in these cookies, but you can adjust the amount to your tastes. You can start out with one teaspoon, bake a small sample of dough and taste it, to customize the flavor.

Speaking of tasting, my grandmother always said, “taste as you go.” This is also helpful when making the honey buttercream. Typically, when making other flavors of buttercream, you add more powdered sugar if your buttercream is too thin. In this case, adding more powdered sugar can make the buttercream too sweet. Once you have added the amount of honey that tastes good to you, you can add a little cornstarch if you need to stiffen it up a bit.

Lavender Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Honey Buttercream

Tender lavender scented cookies with silky honey buttercream filling

Print Recipe

Servings 18

Ingredients

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

2 cups (9 oz or 255g) all purpose flour
½ cup (2 1/4 oz or 64g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (8 oz or 227g) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons culinary lavender

Honey Buttercream

¾ cup (6 oz or 170g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (2 1/4 or 64g) powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons honey
pinch fine sea salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch optional

Instructions

Lavender Shortbread Cookie

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in the lavender. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed, just until combined.
Divide the dough into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but not more than 8 hours.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch circles. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate cut cookies for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Bake cookies until the bottom edges are light golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.
Transfer cookies to a cooking rack to cool completely.
Pipe or spread about 1/2 tablespoon of buttercream on the bottom of half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Honey Buttercream

In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar together until smooth. Add honey, one tablespoon at a time until desired sweetness and consistency is reached.
Mix in a pinch of salt to taste.
Mix in cornstarch, if necessary, to firm up buttercream. *See notes below.

Notes

*The addition of cornstarch helps to firm up buttercream without adding additional sweetness.

To find culinary lavender, click here.

Keyword cookies

Cranberry Sauce

Posted on November 14, 2017February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Homemade cranberry sauce is easier to make than you might think, and it takes your turkey dinner to another level. And don’t get me started on how delicious it is on Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches (which I happen to love more than the dinner itself.) This cranberry sauce is also delicious used in dessert recipes, like bars and cookies, such as my Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies.

Cranberry Sauce

Print Recipe

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces (340g) cranberries, fresh or frozen, picked over, stems removed and rinsed (about 1 3/4 cups)
⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
½ cup (118ml) orange juice
½ cup (118ml) water
Zest of 1 medium orange
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until the cranberries soften and the mixture thickens to a jam consistency, about 18-25 minutes. Stir in the honey and salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Keyword condiments, cranberry sauce

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Posted on May 1, 2017February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I was seriously happy when I started seeing donuts appearing at weddings, bridal showers and occasions other than work meetings. I’ve always felt those sweet, fluffy rings of dough had a higher calling. They had such potential! And honestly who doesn’t love donuts? They’re delicious, but they can also be beautiful. These Lemon Buttermilk Donuts could certainly win a beauty contest. They would make a gorgeous edition to any breakfast, brunch or dessert table. The fresh lemon zest and the earthy flavor of honey will bring springtime right into your kitchen.

If you’re on the lookout for a Mother’s Day recipe, any mom will love these pretty, fragrant treats. This is a very easy recipe and the donuts bake up quickly, so you’ll have time to fix mom a cup of her favorite tea. If you don’t have a donut pan, and you’ve been reluctant to buy one, I can honestly say I love mine. It was very affordable and I’m pleased with the performance and ease of clean up with the pan I purchased. To find the donut pan click here.

In keeping with the springtime feel, I decorated my donuts with pesticide-free edible flowers. I used pansies, but if you’re unable to find them, you can substitute pesticide-free rose petals. I found these edible pansies at my local food market in the produce department, near the fresh herbs. You can also find edible flowers at farmers’ markets and online. For a list of edible flowers, click here. Note: The above pictured orange ranunculus flowers on the table are not edible.

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 7

Total Time 27

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 6

Ingredients

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts

1 cup (113g) cake flour, sifted
½ cup (100g) fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (78ml) buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
Zest of 1 medium lemon

Honey Cream Cheese Icing

¼ cup (85g) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons milk

Finishing Touches

Pesticide-free edible flowers
Sugar pearls*
Nonpareils**

Instructions

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Spray the wells of a donut pan*** with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and lemon zest together until creamy and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or plastic zip bag. Snip off the tip of the bag and pipe batter into the prepared donut pan, filling the wells 2/3 full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into donuts comes out clean, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then remove the donuts to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Prepare Honey Cream Cheese Icing while the donuts are cooling. Dip the tops of the donuts into the icing and decorate as desired. Serve immediately.

Honey Cream Cheese Icing

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well blended. Do not over beat. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix until combined.
On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the honey and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Beat on low speed until smooth.

Notes

*To find sugar pearls, click here. **To find nonpareils, click here. ***To find the donut pan, click here.