For a special few weeks in January, Ukrop’s receives fresh, juicy Honeybell tangelos from Florida.

Never tried a Honeybell? These special citrus fruits are a cross between a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit with the juicy, zippy flavor of a grapefruit and the fresh scent and bright orange color of a tangerine. Although they’re part grapefruit, Honeybells don't taste sour at all. In fact, the Honeybell tangelo variety is so named because it tastes sweet as honey. You’ll recognize it in the store by its unique bell shape.

We only have Honeybells for about three weeks because they’re allowed to ripen naturally and their peak season is short. These rare sweet treats are easy to peel and eat anywhere at any time. Try them alone as a snack, atop a salad. They also make great gifts because of their limited peak season. Stop in soon and take home a Honeybell. Before long they’ll disappear until next January!

This simple recipe is perfect for serving as a side dish at home or toting to a tailgate or dinner party. The flavors are sophisticated enough to serve to foodies, yet simple enough to serve alongside burgers or grilled chicken.

Sweet and Tangy Apple-Broccoli Slaw
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 bag broccoli slaw mix
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup Craisins
1 tart apple, chopped
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup raspberry vinaigrette

Stir together first five ingredients until well blended. Drizzle dressing over top and stir again. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again prior to serving. Can be made several hours ahead.

Apple Smiles are a kid favorite.

Crisp Virginia apples are in our produce department now. Choose from Virginia-grown Ginger Golds (a mild apple similar to a Golden Delicious with a tart finish that resists browning longer than most varieties) and Galas with more varieties arriving soon.

Use our fresh, seasonal apples to make some delicious, kid-friendly apple snacks!

Apple Pizzas
This recipe is great to make with kids, but the sweet-savory flavors are sure to please any age group. Serve them as a snack, or bring them to a brunch for a unique treat!

Serves: 10, as a snack | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package (10) refrigerated biscuits
3 apples, sliced thin
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsps. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using your hands, press each biscuit until it’s flat. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (if you make this recipe with children, use a permanent marker to write the name of each child near the pizza they made). Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of grated cheese on each biscuit. Place 4-5 apple slices on top of each biscuit. In a small bowl, stir flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Put 1 spoonful of mixture on each biscuit. Top with a tiny pad of butter or margarine. Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are fluffy and browned on edges.

Sweet-savory Apple Pizzas are great for brunch.

Apple Smiles
These treats are a great way to get kids active in the kitchen.

Yield: About 8 Smiles

Ingredients:
1 red delicious apple
1 jar creamy peanut butter
About 40 mini marshmallows

Core and slice apple into about 16 thin slices. Spread peanut butter on one side of each slice. Give 2 slices to each child and let them place about 5 mini marshmallows in between slices and sandwich them together in the shape of two lips with teeth.

Gooey, crunchy Loaded Apple Sandwiches make a great after-school snack.

Along with the recipes above, this is another of our favorite kid-friendly apple snacks.

Loaded Apple Sandwiches
Yield: 4-6 sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 apples
1 jar peanut butter, chunky or creamy
1 banana
1 cup granola

Core apple and slice into rings (each apple should yield between 4 and 6 good-size rings). Spread 1 side of each apple with peanut butter. Slice the banana into ½-inch-thick slices. Place 4-5 banana slices on top of the peanut butter on half of the apple rings. Sprinkle granola on the other half. Carefully place 1 apple half with granola on top of 1 apple half with bananas.