This dessert is a honey custard dome resting on top of hazelnut crumb and topped with a lemon caramel. And to add to the royal experience of this dessert, a ‘crown’ of candied lemon rests on top. Although this dessert may look a bit complicated at first, it’s actually easier than making traditional ice cream since there is no churning involved. To make it easier, you could spread the steps out over several days.
Ingredients
For the Honey Semifreddo:
- •3 gelatin leaves dissolved in cold water
- •1 egg + 1 yolk
- •118 ml (½ cup) granulated sugar
- •71 ml (1/3 cup) honey
- •237 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
Hazelnut Crumb:
- •59 ml (¼ cup) hazelnuts
- •59 ml (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
- •59 ml (¼ cup) sugar
- •50 g (1.7 oz) butter
Candied Lemon:
- •237 ml (1 cup) granulated sugar
- •Zest of ½ lemon, cut into thin strips
Honey Lemon Caramel:
- •118 ml (½ cup) honey
- •59 ml (¼ cup) cream
- •Juice of ½ lemon
- •Salt to taste
Preparation
- For the Honey Semifreddo: Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until soft and dissolved. Meanwhile, combine the egg, egg yolk and sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is pale and foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soaked gelatin leaves; remove pan from heat and fold in the honey.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream with electric beaters until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the honey/egg mixture then transfer the mixture to six hemisphere ‘dome’ molds. Set in freezer until set.
For the Hazelnut Crumb: Pre-heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place hazelnuts on a lined baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes until golden. Remove from oven, place in a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Place in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
Combine the ground hazelnuts, flour, sugar and butter in a bowl; rub the mixture together with finger tips until consistency of crumbs. Bake on a lined baking tray until golden (about 15 minutes)- stirring half-way through to ensure even baking.
For the Candied Lemon: Combine 237 ml (1 cup) water and the sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add lemon zest slices, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove lemon strips and set aside on tray lined with parchment paper.
For the Honey Lemon Caramel: In a small saucepan, cook the honey and cream together over medium heat until mixture starts to thicken and turn dark brown. Add the lemon juice and pinch of salt and continue to cook until a caramel brown, about 12 minutes.
To serve, place a Honey Semifreddo dome on top of a Hazelnut Crumb disk. Top with a piece of candied lemon and some Honey Lemon Caramel. Then go ahead — pretend you really are royalty as you down this delicious dessert!