It is believed that in ancient Greek or Roman days foot runners brought snow from Mount Etna to Taormina or Catania to be flavoured with nuts or berries and honey. It was a treat reserved for aristocrats. In the ninth century the Arabs introduced sugar cane, and this revolutionised Sicilian cooking. Before the ninth century local honey was used to sweeten Sicilian ices and sorbets. Sicilian gelato (ice cream), as it has come to us, is probably an Arab invention based on sorbet made with cane sugar, though its earliest origins, like that oftorrone, are clearly Roman.
From ( Best of Sicily magazine)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons dry rose petal
- ¼ cup crushed, raw, unsalted pistachios
Method:
Heat the cream, milk and rose petals over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until the mixture is just below the boil. In a small bowl beat together the egg yolks, honey and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Add about ¼ cup of the hot cream mixture to the yolks stirring vigorously so the eggs won’t scramble. Add warmed yolk mixture back to the heated cream, whisking constantly over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the mixture and cool completely in ice water bath.
Pour the cooled custard into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions. When finished churning , remove the ice cream and fold in the pistachios, mixing well to distribute evenly. Freeze ice cream until ready to serve.
For the Bonbons
3/4 lbs chopped chocolate (bittersweet, milk and/or white, separated)
2 TBLS vegetable oil
pistachios and rose petals for decoration
Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place it in the freezer for an hour.
Working quickly with a melon baller, scoop the ice cream into twelve ½” round balls. Place the balls on the frozen sheet pan about 1” apart. In the ice cream gets too soft as you are working, return it to the freezer. Stick a sturdy toothpick in the center of each ice cream ball, making sure it stands up straight. Place the pan back in the freezer and freeze until very hard.
Melt the chocolate and the oil in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and shiny. Pour into a small bowl and let cool slightly.
Using the toothpick as a handle, quickly dip the ice cream balls in the chocolate, turning to coat evenly. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Set the bonbons on the sheet pan and return to the freezer until the chocolate shells harden, at least 5 minutes. If you wish, spread the cookie crumbs on the sheet pan. Transfer pan to the freezer until they are ready to serve. The bonbons can be made a day or two in advance.
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