Okay. . .the discovery of syllabub.
Why was I looking for an airy and sweet “fluff,” you might ask. Well, here’s the story. After seeing “Waitress,” the adorable film by Adrienne Shelly and starring my own favorite Nathan Fillion (*swoon*), Jules and I were inspired by the wonderful footage of the pies Keri Russell was inventing to try our hand. All the way home from DC we brainstormed, and then spent the next two weeks looking for our ingredients.
My idea? Honeysuckle-inspired pie. It’s my favorite part of summer, so it seemed appropriate.
Anyway, I knew I wanted it to be sweet, fruity and light. Bananas were the fruit, no problem there. And perhaps a little something dense in the middle to hold it together. But the top? Had to be light as air, sweet and frothy—and not just whip cream. So I went through all my cookbooks. Looking at pies, cakes, searching for an element I could steal and make my own. And then I saw a photo in Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess. It was delicate glasses with a swirl of fluff that looked like clouds on a summer day. That was my solution. Syllabub.
So, here’s how Heather’s Summer Honeysuckle Pie is assembled (no measurements on hand at the moment, just an idea):
* Graham cracker crust (first attempt at pie involved store bought, but I have aspirations)
* drizzle a thin layer of honey on the crust
* top with thin slivers of two bananas
* layer with custard (I made a light, homemade custard)
* layer with syllabub
* drizzle with honey
The syllabub involves whipping lemon juice, hard cider (syllabub is traditionally made with wine. Nigella uses cider, which is what caught my eye, and brandy, but I cut the brandy and added a tablespoon of honey), along with cinnamon and sugar. Whip until the sugar is dissolved. Now add cream, and continue whipping until it has almost formed soft peaks. Nigella could better describe the fluffy texture, and she even quoted someone else. Basically it should be dense, but not too thick. Cautions of curdling, I probably stopped a bit too soon, but I found it hardened just enough to make an almost sturdy enough pie once refrigerated. The honey on top would probably be better done after the syllabub has hardened properly.
Served at a birthday cookout, the pie was a great success. Soft and fluffy and sweet, and just the right balance of flavors. And even people who weren’t big into custard or creamy things loved it.
Why was I looking for an airy and sweet “fluff,” you might ask. Well, here’s the story. After seeing “Waitress,” the adorable film by Adrienne Shelly and starring my own favorite Nathan Fillion (*swoon*), Jules and I were inspired by the wonderful footage of the pies Keri Russell was inventing to try our hand. All the way home from DC we brainstormed, and then spent the next two weeks looking for our ingredients.
My idea? Honeysuckle-inspired pie. It’s my favorite part of summer, so it seemed appropriate.
Anyway, I knew I wanted it to be sweet, fruity and light. Bananas were the fruit, no problem there. And perhaps a little something dense in the middle to hold it together. But the top? Had to be light as air, sweet and frothy—and not just whip cream. So I went through all my cookbooks. Looking at pies, cakes, searching for an element I could steal and make my own. And then I saw a photo in Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess. It was delicate glasses with a swirl of fluff that looked like clouds on a summer day. That was my solution. Syllabub.
So, here’s how Heather’s Summer Honeysuckle Pie is assembled (no measurements on hand at the moment, just an idea):
* Graham cracker crust (first attempt at pie involved store bought, but I have aspirations)
* drizzle a thin layer of honey on the crust
* top with thin slivers of two bananas
* layer with custard (I made a light, homemade custard)
* layer with syllabub
* drizzle with honey
The syllabub involves whipping lemon juice, hard cider (syllabub is traditionally made with wine. Nigella uses cider, which is what caught my eye, and brandy, but I cut the brandy and added a tablespoon of honey), along with cinnamon and sugar. Whip until the sugar is dissolved. Now add cream, and continue whipping until it has almost formed soft peaks. Nigella could better describe the fluffy texture, and she even quoted someone else. Basically it should be dense, but not too thick. Cautions of curdling, I probably stopped a bit too soon, but I found it hardened just enough to make an almost sturdy enough pie once refrigerated. The honey on top would probably be better done after the syllabub has hardened properly.
Served at a birthday cookout, the pie was a great success. Soft and fluffy and sweet, and just the right balance of flavors. And even people who weren’t big into custard or creamy things loved it.
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