Healthy Recipes – Frozen Honey Desserts

7 September 2006

Frozen Honey Mousse, Baklava-inspired Honey Gelato

Wild flower honeys are best for frozen honey desserts, where their delicate purity of flavor can be savored. You’ll find them at farmers markets, or try varietals like kamahi honey from New Zealand available online from Honeyworld

The best recipes on the web are now found in foodie blogs and these three delicious desserts are no exception. Thanks to Dana, McAuliflower and Mika.

Dana’s Frozen Honey Mousse

Recipe from Phatduck Blog.
Easier than ice cream, this frozen wild flower honey mousse is a delicious cold treat for a hot day, and a great companion for summer fruits. Cover it with raspberries, or strawberries, sometimes tossed in black pepper

Because it must set in the freezer for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably over night, it is the perfect do-ahead dessert for entertaining.

4 oz honey (just over 1/3 cup)
2 egg yolks
1/2 a vanilla bean, seeded
1 1/2 cups cream, kept cold to whip

METHOD
Prepare a loaf pan or individual molds. A loaf pan can be wetted with a damp rag and lined with plastic wrap or foil for ease in later removal, but individual molds will need to be dipped in hot water and the edges run with a paring knife to remove the smaller servings.

Place the honey, yolks, and vanilla seeds in a metal bowl large enough to fit over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook this mixture over the simmering double boiler until the mixture is thick and pale, and has at least doubled in volume. This takes about 5 minutes. You will know the mixture is done when a stream drizzled back into the bowl holds a little mound rather than disappearing into the mass.

Set this mixture aside on the counter to come down to room temperature.

In the meantime, whip the cream to soft, thick peaks. Keep cold until the honey mixture has come down to room temperature. If the cream is added when the honey mixture is still warm, it will melt into the mixture rather than fold in.

When the honey mixture is room temperature, fold a third of the whipped cream in. When this is incorporated fold in the remaining cream.

Pour the mousse into the prepared pan or molds, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Serves 4

Note: This mousse can be prepared in a loaf pan or terrine mold to slice servings off of, or in individual molds. Seeking out an excellent honey makes all the difference as this recipe highlights every aspect, or flaw, of the honey you choose.

The use of vanilla bean rather than extract also makes a huge difference in this recipe, so seek them out. However, if you are to go without, be a miser with the vanilla extract, adding only a few drops.

Eternal Sunshine Frozen Honey Mousse

Recipe from McAuliflower’s Brownie Points Blog.
The chill on this dessert helps keep the sweetness of the honey from overwhelming the palate. Ideal for creating an airy ice cream without an ice cream maker. It is perfectly set in the tangy sweetness of raspberries or a simple raspberry sauce.

2 eggs
½ cup light honey
Pinch of salt
¾ cup whipping cream

METHOD
Separate egg yolks and whites. Over a hot double boiler (not boiling though), whip 2 egg yolks with one pinch of salt until lightened in color to an opaque yellow white.

Add 1/2 cup of light honey to the egg yolks and continue to beat till the mixture has thickened and resembles melted vanilla ice cream. Remove from the heat and place a piece of plastic film or wax paper directly on the egg mixture surface (to prevent skin formation). Chill till very cold.

Whip two egg whites till stiff and fold into the cold yolk mixture. Also fold in 3/4 cup of whipping cream whipped stiff. Spoon the mousse into desert cups with drizzles of raspberry sauce or garnished with toasted pecans or pistachios and freeze.

Serves 4

Mika’s Baklava-inspired Honey Gelato

Recipe from Greenjackfruit Blog
Note: You will need an ice cream maker to make this gelato.
NZ Kamahi honey is the only sweetener used. Mika took some inspiration from the spices in baklava and steeped cinnamon and cloves into the scalded milk.

Mika added some crunch to the gelato by adding some chopped spiced, roasted almonds and pistachios making it very baklava-ish. Some filo pastry sticks filled with cinnamon and soaked lightly in honey-spice syrup gave a lot of crisp texture and served as munchable spoons.

Baklava-inspired Honey Gelato

1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
12 oz can evaporated fat-free milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
1 cup reduced-fat milk
2 sticks cinnamon
4-5 cloves
1 tsp orange flower water
Chopped spiced almonds and pistachios

METHOD
Scald fat reduced milk with cinnamon and cloves. Let mixture steep overnight. Before making the gelato, remove milk from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Stir in orange flower water.

Combine first evaporated milk, honey and dry milk in a saucepan. Heat mixture over medium heat until honey dissolves, stirring frequently (do not boil). Remove from heat.
Combine salt and egg yolks in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add honey mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place honey mixture in pan; cook over medium heat until mixture reaches 180° (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in milk. Strain the mixture and cool completely. Let the mixture ripen in the refrigerator overnight.

Pour mixture into ice-cream maker and freeze. Just before the mixture hardens up, add a couple of handfuls of chopped nuts and run ice cream maker for another 2 min. Spoon gelato into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze 2 hours or until firm.

For filo sticks:
4 -6 sheets of filo pastry
melted butter
cinnamon sugar

METHOD
Layer sheets brushing each layer with melted butter and dusting with cinnamon-sugar. Cut the sheets into 8 thin sticks. Roll each stick slightly to make them rounded. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 min until golden brown.

While they are warm, brush them with a cooled syrup made of equal parts of sugar, honey and water that has been flavored with whole spices and orange zest.

Serves 6

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