Almond and honey cream, kourabiethes, pistachio and fresh raspberry

Rose water, almond and honey cream with raspberry and Greek shortbread. This dessert was part of a three course menu designed in conjunction with a wonderful client of mine in Rose bay. The brief was all based around flavours around the Mediterranean. The night had to be interactive with the clients watching the preparation and cooking of all the dishes.

Rose water, honey and almond cream

365mls of unsweetened almond milk
365mls pure cream
80 g honey
1 vanilla bean scraped
3 leaves (15g) gelatin.

Method

Place gelatin in ice water to soak 5 minutes prior.
Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean.
Place all remaining ingredients in a pot with vanilla.
Bring to a gentle boil
Squeeze water out of softened gelatin and add to liquid
Boil and strain
Cool over ice for 5 minutes before pouring into small plastic molds
Allow to cool in the fridge overnight.

To serve

Gently warm mold in warm water. Turn out dessert and serve with honey rosewater syrup
pistachios, fresh raspberries and Greek short bread (Kourabiethes)

For the pistachios

Gently toss in a pan over a medium heat until just starting to lightly brown.
Cool and roughly grind in a mortar and pestle.

For the Rosewater Syrup

Mix together 125g of caster sugar, 125g of honey and 250 g of water.
Place in a boil and boil with the seeds of a vanilla bean.
After 5 minutes cool and mix in 50 mls of rose water
Allow to cool

Greek short bread (Kourabiethes)

250g butter
250g icing sugar
250g plain flour
50g almond meal
1 vanilla bean scraped
finely grated rind of an orange
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 egg

Beat the butter and the icing sugar together until pale and creamy
Add the egg, vanilla and orange rind, beat together
Add the almond meal and mix
Sift together the baking powder and flour.
Carefully mix into butter.
Allow to rest.
Roll in to small balls and bake in a 160-degree oven until golden
Dust with icing sugar and serve.