I bought a little bottle of Fiori di Sicila from King Arthur. It was one of those times where you see something and go, hmm…what’s that? …and then of course, I have to try it. It’s described as a combination of citrus and vanilla, which is pretty accurate, and recommended as an alternative to vanilla extract. It’s used in Panettone and when I tasted it, that’s exactly what came to mind. So with this, you can make anything taste like Panettone. For my first use, I wanted something simple so that I could really taste what it was all about. I decided on Pastry Cream, using a recipe from the Tartine cookbook as the basis.
Fiori di Sicila Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Fiori di Sicilia
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (use 4 for thicker pastry cream)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Instructions –
1. Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk together cornstarch and sugar in a large glass bowl. Whisk in the eggs until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat the milk, Fiori di Sicilia, and salt over medium high heat until it just starts to bubble at the edges (not boiling). Remove from heat.
4. While whisking vigorously, slowly ladle milk into cornstarch/egg mixture until 1/3 of milk is incorporated. Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the pot of milk and whisk over medium heat until that custard has thickened. It needs to start to bubble but can’t boil vigorously or it will curdle. Pour through sieve into bowl (that you prepared in step 1) immediately.
5. Let it cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the cream reaches 140 degrees F, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition. Cover the cream with plastic wrap flush against the surface of the cream. Refrigerate. Do not whisk chilled cream. It can be kept in the fridge for 5 days.
I suggest serving with strawberries, for a light and summer-y dessert.
We used to eat strawberries with fresh cream when I was a kid, this is such a great way of jazzing up my simple childhood favorite.
What a lovely & so luscious summer dessert!!!
Excellent!!
Can you find that in higher end markets or specialty stores? It sounds like something that’ d be good in a variety of desserts.
Duo Dishes, I don’t know. I haven’t looked for it anywhere else, I just got it on the King Arthur website.
terrific way to consume those gorgeous berries! this fiori di sicilia sounds like some interesting stuff—thanks for buying it and trying it out for us!
That sounds a great idea for our BBQ next week, & we have strawberries in the garden!
What a terrific idea! I’ll have to try it. I bet this would be good in sugar cookies.
i always buy two bottles of the Fiori di Sicila from King Arthur. It is so unique that no one knows what it is. I keep one for baking and the other i use as the main ingrident in my homemade cologne
I use it in my banana bread and it makes people go, “Hummmmmmmm, this is different, I like it.”
A bit of the Fiori di Sicilia and some sugar stirred into sour cream makes a wonderful dip for strawberries. It may sound strange, but the “sour” in the sour cream makes a great foil for sweet strawberries and the flora Fiori.
Carol, what a a great quick dip for last minute guests!