St. John Chrysostom once said, “The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.” I can’t help but wonder if he was thinking of his contemporary, Aurelius Ambrosius, when he penned that quotation. Aurelius Ambrosius is better known to us as St. Ambrose.
St. Ambrose, whose feast we celebrate on Dec. 7, is a Doctor of the Church and was one of the most influential and important figures in the Church in the fourth century.
As a prolific preacher and the Bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose was influential in advancing much of western Christianity in the fourth century. Interestingly, throughout most of his life, Ambrose kept bees. He loved them and bred them so he could give honey to the poor, which is why he’s the patron saint of bees and beekeepers. It is said that when Ambrose was an infant, a swarm of bees landed on his face, leaving behind a drop of honey before flying away. His father took this as a sign that he would become a great preacher with a “honeyed tongue.”
Like the bees St. Ambrose kept, this holy man gave his life’s work to others. He labored for the Church. And as his peer, St. John Chrysostom has said, this deserves honor.
With Christmas festivities around the corner, consider making this Italian dessert to honor a saint who spent most of his time in Italy and whose feast we celebrate this month. I share this recipe for a panna cotta with a nod to the preacher with the “honeyed tongue.” This silky sweet treat is made with lots of honey. Enjoy!
Milk and Honey Panna Cotta
(serves 6-8)
3 teaspoons gelatin
½ cup whole milk
2 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup honey
(plus more for topping)
1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
Raspberries (for topping)
In a small bowl, combine
the gelatin and milk and
set aside to “bloom.”
In a medium saucepan
on very low heat, combine
the heavy cream, honey,
whole vanilla bean, lemon
juice and sugar (until sugar
is completely dissolved).
Remove the vanilla bean
and split lengthwise.
Scrape the beans into
the mixture and stir to
combine. Add the milk
and gelatin mixture and
mix with a whisk until fully
combined and smooth.
Divide the panna cotta
mixture into 6-8 glasses
(or ramekins) and chill in
refrigerator for at least
4 hours (or overnight).
Top off each serving with
a teaspoon of honey and
fresh raspberries. To make
it even more festive, add
some spun sugar!
