Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Grease an 8 × 8-inch glass or enameled pan, or a rectangular casserole dish, with coconut oil. Line it with parchment, leaving flaps extending over the sides. Keep a spatula and a spoon or palette knife ready for smoothing.
- Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over half the measured water in the mixer bowl. Leave it to hydrate for about five minutes.
- Put the remaining water into a saucepan with the honey and salt. Heat over medium to medium-high heat and bring to a boil, watching as it foams. Continue cooking until a candy thermometer reads 240–242°F. This usually takes about 12–15 minutes, but use the temperature as the endpoint.
- Start the mixer at medium speed. Pour the syrup in a steady stream into the softened gelatin, keeping the stream away from the moving beaters so it does not splatter onto them.
- Increase to high speed and beat until the mixture triples in volume, becomes light in color, and the cream is just cool to the touch, usually five to ten minutes. Add the homemade vanilla toward the end. The cream should hold its shape briefly when lifted with the stopped whisk, then fall back on itself.
- Stop the mixer and scrape the cream into the lined dish. Work promptly to smooth the top with the back of a spoon or a palette knife; a little oil helps with the sticky plain finish. Leave the slab to set for four to six hours. Allow at least four hours before cutting for cleaner edges.
- Lift the set slab out by its parchment flaps. Peel the paper away and cut into your preferred sizes and shapes. For toasting, let the cut pieces dry some, then use a brief high-heat finish.
Notes
Use the all-honey formula: 1¼ cups light-colored natural honey and 2½ US tablespoons 225-bloom powdered gelatin. Divide the listed water equally; at 1×, half a cup hydrates gelatin and half a cup goes into the syrup. Hydrate gelatin about five minutes.
Cook syrup to 240–242°F, usually about 12–15 minutes, using the thermometer endpoint. Pour steadily into the softened gelatin at medium mixer speed, keeping the stream away from moving beaters. Whip high until triple volume, light color and just cool to the touch, about 5–10 minutes. Add the teaspoon of homemade vanilla near the end. Stop when cream briefly holds a shape before falling back.
Use an 8 × 8-inch or allowed rectangular dish, lined with greased parchment. Smooth promptly and set 4–6 hours; allow at least 4 hours for cleaner cuts. One batch; piece count depends on pan and cuts. No fixed whole-process total is given.
Plain finish: oil and parchment, without powdered sugar, arrowroot or tapioca starch. Let cut pieces dry some before a short high-heat toast. No fixed drying duration is specified. Refrigerate covered and use within 3–5 days; freeze for longer storage and bring to room temperature before using.
Full GAPS occasional honey sweet after ingredients are introduced; not an Introduction Diet recipe. No dairy, eggs or nuts. No maple syrup in this formula.
For 2×, double the four measured ingredients and divide the scaled water equally. Adjust the unmeasured salt and greasing oil for two batches. Use sufficient mixer and dish capacity or make two original-size batches; syrup target stays 240–242°F.