‘Hot Honey Cookbook’ Presents Hot New Recipes

By Annie Tobey | August 29th, 2022

‘60 Recipes to Infuse Sweet Heat into Your Favorite Foods’

Hot Honey S'mores Brownies from the "Hot Honey Cookbook" by Ames Russell of AR's Hot Honey

Ames Russell, owner of AR’s Hot Southern Honey based in Virginia, has authored “Hot Honey Cookbook: 60 Recipes to Infuse Sweet Heat into Your Favorite Foods.” The cookbook features 60 recipes that highlight how hot honey can be used at every mealtime, from breakfast to drinks and dessert. Recipes include Everything Biscuits, Spicy Candied Pecans, Ricotta and Peach Crostini with Hot Honey, Sausage and Pepper Pizza, Hot Honey Spoon Bread, and Peach Cake.

Since Russell started producing his hot honey, he has developed relationships with accomplished chefs such as Walter Bundy (Shagbark, in Richmond, Virginia) and baker Brad Noyes (Red Truck Bakery, with two locations in Fauquier County, Virginia) who purchase AR’s honey by the gallon to use it on the menu. In fact, many of the chefs Russell has worked with have contributed recipes for the cookbook. There’s Mike Ledesma’s Nashville Fried Chicken Breakfast Tacos, Elias Adams’ Going to the Country tequila cocktail and Midnight Landing bourbon cocktail, and Hot Honey S’more Brownies from Andréa Johnson (aka, the “Mallow Queen” – see the recipe below, or on Page 114 of your own copy of Hot Honey Cookbook).

The honey complements recipes, but it also makes an easy topping throughout the day – on toast and yogurt, a peanut butter sandwich, fried chicken, biscuits, and more. Currently, AR’s offers hot honeys, plain honeys, a peach hot sauce and spicy honey peanut butter. The honey is sourced and produced in Virginia’s Shenandoah region.

Hot Honey S’more Brownies

Contributed by Andréa Johnson

50 minutes
Serves 9

Crust

¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1¼ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs
½ cup butter (1 stick, or 120 g), melted

Brownies

2¼ teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, or 120 g), melted and cooled
¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder
1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup plus 4 teaspoons (100 g) all-purpose flour
AR’s Hot Southern Honey (mild or hot), for drizzling
1 cup (45 g) mini marshmallows
Flaky sea salt, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C; gas mark 4). Line an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.
To make the crust: In a large bowl, combine the ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. Add the ½ cup (120 g) melted butter, mixing until the mixture is moistened and resembles wet sand. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press with your fingers to pack it into the bottom of the pan.
To make the brownies: In a medium bowl, add the oil, vanilla, and eggs to the melted and cooled ½ cup butter (120 g).
In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and flour to combine well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The mixture will be thick. Pour the brownie batter over the graham cracker crust in the pan, using a spatula or spoon to spread. Drizzle hot honey on top of the batter and swirl with a toothpick.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly dry with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and place the marshmallows on top of the brownies, allowing the residual heat to melt them. (If desired, using a kitchen torch, carefully toast the marshmallows at this point.) Sprinkle the sea salt on top of the melted marshmallows.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving. Drizzle with more hot honey, if you like.

’Red Truck Bakery Cookbook’ by Brian Noyes, a review