This honey-scented confection can be made with the nuts of your choice if you don’t happen to have a black walnut tree at hand. For additional wild food recipes from Russ Cohen, go to http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/recipes.htm

  • ⅔ cup soft unsalted butter, divided
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar, dehydrated cane juice, or maple sugar, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon half & half or cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, allspice and cloves
  • 1 to 1½ cups chopped black walnuts (option: toast on a sheet pan for a few minutes while the crust bakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment or buttered aluminum foil.

For the crust: cream together ⅓ cup butter and ⅓ cup sugar with a mixer. Add salt and flour, and beat until crumbly.

Press mixture into the prepared pan, and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ⅓ cup butter, ⅓ cup sugar, honey, and half & half in a saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a simmer, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, spices, and chopped black walnuts. Pour filling over the baked crust, then return it to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the entire contents to a cutting board. Use a big knife to divide into squares.

Makes 36 to 49 treats, depending on how you slice it.

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By: David Kelman is an avid home gardener and beekeeper. He recognizes (and sees) the clear link between plant and animal life in his Milton garden. David is a locally based Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Showcase Properties.