We spent this weekend just gone at my parents’ house in Italy (yes, if you clicked the link, I’m finally on Instagram and a little bit addicted, come join me!). High in the Tuscan mountains with little more than the sun shining above us, trees around and valleys below, we had time to reflect on the important things in life. Love and family and food featured foremost, with pretty much equal emphasis on all three.
Leaving lessons in love and family aside, let’s focus on the food. There everything seems to just taste better, from freshly podded borlotti beans to creamy mozzarella cheese, ripe tomatoes, leafy greens and the heaviest of melons, sweet flesh replete with juice.
Fruit features highly in any given day of little loaf meals but in Italy we were spoilt for choice. The aforementioned melon appeared at breakfast alongside blood red cherries and juicy grapes, bitter skin contrasting with sweet inner flesh. The day we arrived, a pair of peaches had just ripened to blushing perfection alongside apricots and nectarines which tasted every bit as good.
These little pots are a homage to any stone fruit, injected with sunshine and inspired by the way I love to start the day on holiday: thick yoghurt, fresh fruit and a sprinkling of nuts for crunch. The addition of double cream means they’re more of a dessert than breakfast in my book but the same rules apply: use the best ingredients you can afford or find, organic dairy, the freshest fruit, a honey you’d enjoy on its own.
Depending on how ripe your apricots are – and how sweet your teeth – you may not need to add the extra teaspoon of honey as they cook. But please do try the thyme, it sounds unusual but works just wonderfully, adding a depth of flavour to the sweet stewed fruit, hidden beneath the slightly sharp, creamy mousse.
When fruit is in season, sometimes it’s hard to see further than the instant gratification of eating it as it is, fingers and chin dripping with sweet sticky juice. But summer is a time of abundance and sunshine, when a few apricots, plums or peaches can be set aside for the simplest of desserts and an altogether more elegant result achieved. This is it. Enjoy.
Honey Yoghurt Mousse with Apricot Thyme Compote (inspired by this recipe on Tartelette)
Ingredients:
For the compote
5 apricots
2 tsp thyme leaves, picked
1 tsp runny honey
For the mousse
2 scant tsp gelatine
3 tbsp water
350ml double cream
400ml Greek yoghurt
90ml good quality runny honey
To serve
Handful pistachios, chopped
Few sprigs thyme (optional)
Method:
For the compote
Wash, de-stone and chop the apricots into small chunks, leaving the skin on.
In a small saucepan, bring the apricots and honey to a low simmer, then cook for a few minutes until it the mixture melts into a soft compote. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, cook one minute more then set aside to cool.
For the mousse
Pour the water into a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle over the gelatin, stir then set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt and honey.
Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 12 seconds (or melt in a bain marie). Working quickly, pour the melted gelatin over the yogurt and honey mixture and whisk to combine. Gently fold in the whipped cream until everything is blended.
To serve
Divide the apricot compote between six small glasses. Top with the yoghurt mousse mixture then pop in the fridge to firm up, at least three hours or overnight if possible.
When ready to serve, sprinkle over the chopped pistachios and a little extra thyme, if you like.
This looks delicious – I’d actually like to dive head-first into the pot now! However, I’ll have to satisfy myself with muesli!
This looks SO delicious! I adore the combination of fruit and thyme, and that mousse looks so pillowy soft and yummy. Can’t wait to make this. Fantastic recipe, photography and words! xx
There’s just enough gelatin to make it moussy but still retain that lovely creaminess. One of my favourite desserts at the moment 🙂
This looks like something interesting to make.
Mouthwatering. I’m bookmarking this one!
I’ve never tried thyme with a sweet dish. I’m intrigued. I look forward to trying it.
You must! It cuts through the sweetness and is so delicious.
Looks wonderful! I love apricots and honey, and sharp fruit with creamy sweet mousse is heavenly.
What a beautiful location! The food in Italy sounds amazing. I like the idea of adding the thyme with the apricots. Beautiful recipe, I will make this and imagine I am in Italy in the sun 🙂
I’ll be imagining I’m in Italy too, miss it already! 🙂
These photos are gorgeous! I am going to have to try thyme and stewed fruit it sounds lovely
Sounds brilliantly fresh and delicious! I love thyme with plums so can imagine how good it would be with apricots too 🙂 Welcome to Instagram!
Thank you! I have a feeling it may take over my life… 😉
Just what’s needed at this time of year.
This sounds so delicious! Love the combo of stewed fruit and thyme.
Apricot thyme compote, wow. It all sounds incredible!
So lovely. That combination of apricot and thyme sounds really wonderful.
The text of that mousse sounds amaaazing! And I think I’d love this combination of flavors and textures. Pinning!
Reblogged this on Be Blessed & Fruitful 🙂.
This sounds amazing! Apricots are my favorite. Well, most summer fruit is my favorite, really, but apricots are special. 🙂 The thyme sounds like an inspired addition!
Oh, I can assure you I will be making this. I love the aerial shot of the partially eaten mousse; you can really see how light and lovely it is. I plan on using apricots too when I make it, and I just might use up some sage that I never know what to do with in the summertime. So lovely! Glad you had a wonderful trip. I envy you greatly :).
Thanks Sacha. The texture is great – enough gelatin to hold it all together but still light and creamy.
Wow, this looks so delicious and unique! Interesting combination of thyme with fruit. Will give this recipe a try–thanks for sharing it!
How elegantly rustic – this looks such a perect summer dessert.
You apricot compote sounds super delicious! Love your pictures!
Yummy Yummy!! 🙂
Oh wow, these little pots look amazing. I love the yoghurt mousse, such a great idea, and one I’m definitely going to have to try. And welcome to instagram. I was so happy to see you on there.
Thanks Jennifer. I resisted Instagram for so long but finally took the plunge and I love it 🙂
The mouse looks mouthwatering!!! Thyme and sweets is intriguing mixture for me! 🙂
Beautiful!
All is good if you wake up in Tuscany with these little cups as breakfast, or the fresh fruit from the trees! The recipe (and your parent´s house) look dreamy Kate!
Ah, I love it there. Wish I could live in Italy all summer…
Hm, I thought I had already commented on this but it turns out I haven’t. Absolutely love the idea of this dessert – my mum used to make something similar with buttercream and I imagine the yoghurt mousse has the same delicious tang which I love so much in this heat. Also love the little bit of fruit underneath, I am definitely a much bigger fan of yoghurt in top or below fruit rather than mixing everything together – I like how that way every spoon has a different ratio of fruit to yoghurt 😉 And yes to apricots and thyme – haven’t tried the combination myself so far but it sounds lovely.
Glad you got to relax a bit – Italy is insanely hot at the moment (we are meant to be hitting 38 degrees later this week), but it’s nothing a bit of relaxation and pool time cannot fix!
My parents’ house is up in the mountains so it’s a little cooler there, but I nearly melted on the train in from Florence! Apricots and thyme is a lovely combo, do give it a try x
I’ve never ever made a mousse in the kitchen before, but now I’m wondering why not. Pistachio, honey, apricot, yogurt… ‘nough said.
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A fabulous family holiday in Italy and a marvellous mousse to enjoy with the most important people in life? It must have felt the perfect countdown to your forthcoming wedding!! Hope all the plans are going really well! Really delicious sounding recipe, as always!
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Wow….looks so delicious. Will try this soon.
Sounds gorgeous and one to try! Enjoying a browse through your blog very much.
Thank you so much 🙂 And yes, do try the mousse, it’s so yummy.
what an absolutely beautiful photograph. I’d never thought of combining apricot and thyme, but am certainly going to give it a go….
It just sounds as perfect as I pictured it: a dream land where fruit is buntiful and ripe. I spent two weeks chez my parents in Venice as well and I had the usual great food immersion… Feeling slightly homesick now reading this…
And these little cups? Delightful!
It’s just about my favourite place in the whole world. I adore Venice as well – the food markets there are just incredible.