• Pre-heat oven 1 to 100°C.
• Pre-heat oven 2 to 170°C.
• Set blast freezer to -40°C.
• Set ice cream churner to medium gelato setting.
• Place honeycomb mould in blast freezer.

Chewy Strawberries 

• Place water, sugar and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Remove the stems of the strawberries and discard then place strawberries in sugar syrup. Cook on low heat for approximately 4 – 5 minutes or until tender, gently stirring occasionally.
• Once strawberries are cooked, strain through a fine strainer into a large measuring jug. Reserve strawberry liquid and transfer strawberries into a medium stainless-steel bowl. Place bowl of strawberries into the fridge for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Honey Gelato

• Half fill a medium saucepan with water and place on high heat to bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to simmering point.
• Into a small bowl weigh, trehalose, maltodextrin, milk powder and stabiliser. Set aside.
• Place milk and cream in a medium stainless-steel bowl and place over the saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl is not touching the water.
• Whisking constantly, bring the temperature of the mixture to 45°C.
• Add the weighed dry ingredients and continue to whisk to incorporate until dissolved.
• Take the mixture to 85°C then remove from the heat. Using a stick blender, blend for approximately 45 seconds.
• Strain into a large baking tray and place in fridge to cool for 10 minutes.
• Once chilled, pour into a medium stainless-steel bowl and using a stick blender blend in the honey, ensuring it has incorporated well.
• Pour the mixture into the ice-cream machine and churn for approximately 30 minutes or until gelato consistency.

Chewy Strawberries (continued) 

• Remove the Poached Strawberries from the fridge and cut into 3mm slices. Spread strawberry slices evenly on a baking tray lined with a silpat. Place in the oven at 100°C for approximately 2 – 2 ½ hours to dehydrate.

Honey Financier 

• Cut the butter into small pieces and place into a medium saucepan and gently heat until it starts to brown.
• Place the eggs and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment fitted, whisk on high speed until sugar has dissolved and volume has doubled.
• Line a 37cm x 25cm baking tray with baking paper.
• Once butter is brown, add honey and salt. Stir to combine then slowly pour into whipped egg mixture with the mixer on medium speed.
• Sift flour and baking powder into a small stainless-steel bowl then sprinkle into the whisked mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold flour in without knocking out any air.
• Pour financier batter into the lined baking tray to a thickness of 1cm.
• Place in the oven at 170°C for approximately 12 – 14 minutes or until golden, turning the tray halfway through cooking.
• Once cooked, remove from oven, remove Financier from tray and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool slightly for 2 – 3 minutes then transfer to the fridge to cool completely.
• Turn oven down from 170°C to 150°C.

Honey Crème Chantilly 

• In a small saucepan add cream, honey, split vanilla pod and lemon zest. Warm the mixture over medium heat to 85°C, stirring constantly, not allowing it to catch on the bottom.
• Add the gelatine mass, whisking to disperse and melt gelatine. Set aside in saucepan to infuse for 15 minutes.

Honey Jelly

• In a small saucepan, heat water, honey and liqueur to 50°C. Take off heat.
• Add gelatine mass. Stir to disperse and melt gelatine.
• Place a 19.5cm x 9.5cm cake tin onto the scales and pour in 80g of honey liquid. Place in the fridge for approximately 90 minutes or until set. Discard remaining honey liquid.

Honey Crème Chantilly (continued)

• Strain infused Honey Cream through a fine strainer into a large baking tray. Discard any sediment.
• Place tray in the fridge and allow to cool and set.

Honey Gelato Honeycomb

• Remove the Honey Gelato from the churner. Remove the honeycomb mould from the blast freezer. Fill the hexagon hole of the honeycomb mould with Gelato, ensuring you get up all the sides and in every corner.
• Using an offset spatula, smooth the top of excess Gelato. Reserve remaining Gelato in the freezer.
• Using a 20mm round cookie cutter, 3 discs from the Honey Financier. Cut these discs in half horizontally so you have 6 discs.
• Push 6 discs of Honey Financier into Gelato, placing 5 around the outside and 1 in the middle, so they are just under the surface and smooth off again with an offset spatula.
• Transfer Gelato filled honeycomb mould to the blast freezer and leave to freeze solid.

Honey Tuille

• In a medium saucepan over low heat, mix honey, butter and salt until melted and combined. Remove from heat.
• Add flour and egg white. Whisk well until smooth.
• Strain through a fine sieve into a medium stainless-steel bowl and place in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.

Honeycomb 

• In a large saucepan add water, honey, glucose syrup and sugar. Place on high heat and bring the mixture to a pale amber colour, approximately 150°C.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the bi-carb soda.
• Pour mixture onto a medium baking tray lined with a silpat. Set aside to cool.

Blown Sugar Beehive

• Turn heat lamps on. Line a baking tray with a silpat.
• In a 4 litre double-handled pot placed over low – medium heat, bring the fondant and 450g of the isomalt to a boil, stirring to distribute melting granules.
• Add the remaining 450g of isomalt, yellow colouring powder, titanium dioxide and red paint powder. Heat to 170°C, stirring constantly to avoid mixture sticking on the bottom.
• Once desired temperature is reached, let the mixture rest for 1 minute.
• Combine citric acid and water in a glass pinch bowl and stir to combine.
• Add citric acid solution to the pot and mix gently to combine.
• Pour sugar mixture onto the silpat lined baking tray and allow to rest on the bench for approximately 5 – 10 minutes to set slightly. When sugar can be handled, fold a few times until marble look is achieved. Keep the sugar under the heat lamp.
• Using paper towel and canola oil spray, lightly grease the inside of the beehive mould.
• Cautiously take a ball from the sugar mixture, approximately 20mm in diameter. Using your finger, make a small indent into the ball. Place the pipe of the sugar pump into the indent and mould the edges of the sugar around the pipe until airtight, creating a light globe shape. Using the pump, gently squeeze to start inflating the ball of sugar until it is approximately the size of a golf ball.
• Place the blown ball into the beehive mould and continue to squeeze the pump slowly until it fills the mould to the top, maintaining positive pressure on the pump until the cavity of the mould is full and you end up with a beehive shape. Gently twist the pipe of the pump so the sugar twists as you pull away from the mould. Use scissors to cut through the sugar and release the pipe. Allow blown sugar to harden for 5 – 10 seconds.
• Very carefully, prise the mould open to release the blown sugar from the sides. Gently turn the mould upside down over a tea towel and prise the sides of the mould open and let the blown sugar release from the mould. Place the Blown Sugar Beehive in a sphere mould to hold.
• Repeat until you have at least 1 blown sugar beehive, wiping the inside of the mould clean in between uses.
• Place a 40mm cookie cutter with the cutting edge facing up onto a baking tray lined with a silpat. Using a heat gun, heat the cutting edge until hot. Carefully pick up the Blown Sugar Beehive and whilst still holding, sit the bottom of the beehive on the heated cookie cutter to cut an opening through the sugar.
• Store Beehive in an airtight container on baking paper with silica gel. Set aside on the bench.

Honey Crème Chantilly (continued)

• Once set, remove Honey Crème from the fridge and transfer into the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attached, whisk to stiff peaks.
• Transfer to a piping bag, secure the end and place in the fridge.

Chewy Strawberries (continued)

• Place Strawberry Water in a medium saucepan and reduce until syrup like in consistency.
• In a medium stainless-steel bowl combine Dehydrated Strawberries and Strawberry Syrup. Allow to rehydrate for approximately 5 minutes.

Honey Tuille (continued)

• Remove the Honey Tuille mixture from the fridge.
• Place the honeycomb silicone mould onto a baking tray.
• Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the mould, ensuring to fill all the cavities. Smooth the top with an offset spatula flush with the top of the mould so you can see the honeycomb pattern. Wipe around the edge of the mould to remove any excess mixture.
• Bake at 150°C for approximately 16 – 18 minutes or until golden brown in colour.
• Whilst hot, remove Tuille from mould by running an offset spatula under the edge of the Tuille to dislodge from mould and lay the Tuille over a rolling pin so it creates an arch shape. Leave to set and cool.
• Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container with silica gel and set aside on the bench.

White Chocolate Spray

• In a heatproof plastic bowl, place the white chocolate, grapeseed oil and titanium dioxide. Stir to combine.
• Place in the microwave and heat in 30 second increments until chocolate is melted, stirring in between to distribute the melting chocolate evenly.
• Once chocolate is melted, using a stick blender, blend until homogenous.
• Pour Chocolate Spray into the jug of the spray gun, filling the jug ½ full. Fit the lid and test the distribution.
• Take the Gelato filled honeycomb mould from the blast freezer. De-mould the Gelato and place, financier side down, on a small pizza tray lined with baking paper. Move to the chocolate spray station.
• Gently spray the sides and the top of the Honey Gelato Honeycomb from a 10cm distance in a light covering to coat.
• Store in the freezer to set.

Honey Financier Cubes

• Take the reserved Honey Financier and cut into 5mm cubes until you have at least 30g of cubes.
• Place cubes in an airtight container and set aside on the bench. 

Honey Jelly (continued)

• Remove Honey Jelly from the fridge and cut into 5mm cubes. Place cubes in an airtight container and set aside in the fridge.

Honeycomb Powder

• Once cool, blend together in a mini chop, broken pieces of honeycomb, isomalt, yellow paint powder and yellow colouring powder into a fine powder. Transfer to an airtight container and set aside on the bench.

Chewy Strawberries (continued)

• Scoop out Strawberries and roughly chop. Place into an airtight container and set aside on the bench. Discard liquid.

TO PLATE 

Honeycomb Tuille

Honeycomb Tuille 

• Remove Honeycomb Tuille from airtight container and place the tuille to sit flat on the top serving plate.

Blown Sugar Beehive

Blown Sugar Beehive

Honey Crème Chantilly

Honey Jelly

Chewy Strawberries

Honey Financier

• With dry hands, very gently pick up the Sugar Beehive and turn it upside down in the half sphere mould so the cavity is facing up.
• Cut the tip of the piping bag, approximately 2cm from the pointed end and pipe in approximately 1 teaspoon worth of Chantilly into the bottom of the beehive in a flat spiral pattern, filling the first indent.
• Spoon in ½ teaspoon of cubed Honey Jelly, evenly distributing over the Chantilly.
• Spoon in ½ teaspoon of Chewy Strawberries, evenly distributing over the Chantilly and slightly pushing into the Chantilly.
• Spoon in 1 teaspoon of cubed Honey Financier, evenly distributing over the Chantilly then slightly push pieces into the Chantilly.
• Repeat at least 3 times until the Beehive cavity is full, creating even layers, slightly increasing quantities as the cavity begins to fill with each layer and filling all ridges within.
• Once full, turn Beehive so the filled cavity is facing down and place in the centre of the bottom serving plate.

Honey Gelato Honeycomb

Chocolate sprayed Honey Gelato Honeycomb

Honeycomb Powder 

• Remove Honey Gelato Honeycomb from the freezer.
• Place the honeycomb stencil on top and using a small fine sieve, dust the top liberally with Honeycomb Powder.
• Gently remove stencil with a small offset spatula and transfer Honey Gelato Honeycomb into the centre of the middle serving plate.
• To stack plates, put the filled Blown Sugar Beehive plate on the bottom followed by the Honey Gelato Honeycomb plate and then the Honeycomb Tuille plate on top.