Florida honeybees produced local honey to create Limited Edition Honey Nut Cheerios

On a Saturday morning in St. Cloud, Florida local residents experienced Honey Nut Cheerio’s unveiling of their unique “living billboard.”  The three story structure was home to more than 100,000 honeybees. with the honey produced used to spell out “Made with Real Honey.” A limited number of exclusive boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios were produced.  Thankfully, I was able to bring a box home for a very special breakfast.

Located just outside of Orlando, Diamond P Farm and Ranch housed the construction of the billboard, and the bees used were supplied in partnership with local Orlando beekeeper Brent Dickson and his family.

Most of the beekeepers who make the honey for Honey Nut Cheerios run family businesses and depend on their bees to make a living. The Dickinson family re-purpose honey and bee materials for organic soaps, balms, and moisturizers sold at the neighboring farmers market.

This was the first event of its kind from Honey Nut Cheerios. They told me they chose Florida because of the weather. While November is unpredictable in many other beekeeper sites such as upstate New York, Florida had a mild and sunny day for a perfect outdoor event. Shannon Frieser and her team decorated the space with a “barbecue chic” theme that paired with the ranch setting.

The Osprey Tavern was on site as well with Executive Chef Joseph Burnett and Pastry Chef Kristy Carlucci interacting with the guests as they sampled their creations. Provided were Honey Nut Cheerios Banana Cream Pie Shots and The Osprey Tavern’s Spanakopita. Recipes were also provided for those who were interested in recreating these dishes at home. When I spoke with Chef Burnett he mentioned how he experimented with many possible recipes and dishes to provide two that demonstrated the use of local ingredients but were also easy for the home kitchen. I will definitely be trying these for the upcoming holiday season!

Thank you to Shannon Frieser and Ketchum PR group, Honey Nut Cheerios, The Osprey Tavern, Diamond P Farm and Ranch, and Brent Dickson and family for a fun, educational, and deliciously sweet event!

Honey Nut Cheerios “Crust”

3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios

1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 stick (4oz)Butter, unsalted, melted

1/4 tsp Salt

1. Place Cheerios in a food processor and pulse to a crumb consistency.

2. Transfer Cheerios to a bowl, add the brown sugar and salt and stir to

combine. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined (can have some

small clumps).

3. Spread onto baking sheet and bake at 325oF for about 8-10 minutes, tossing

every few minutes. Let cool completely.

Honey Nut Cheerios Pastry Cream

1 1/2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios

6 cups Whole Milk

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Cornstarch

1/2 tsp Salt

5 each Eggs

2 each Egg Yolks

1/2 stick (2oz)Butter, unsalted,

room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Spread Cheerios onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in 325oF

oven and toast for about 5-8 minutes, until lightly toasted.

2. Immediately place in large bowl, and add milk. Let steep for 30 minutes to

infuse the milk with the Cheerios flavor.

3. Pour the Cheerios-infused milk through a strainer, and reserve 4 cups for the

pastry cream.

4. Pour the reserved milk into a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a

simmer.

5. While milk is heating, place sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a large mixing

bowl. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Add both the eggs and yolks

and whisk to completely combine.

6. When milk is simmering, carefully pour the milk into the egg mixture, and

immediately whisk to temper the eggs. Pour everything back into the pot and

return to medium-low heat, whisking constantly. When the mixture starts to

bubble, cook for a full two minutes more, whisking quickly and consistently.

7. Remove from heat, add the butter and vanilla extract. If desired, use a hand

blender to smooth out any lumps and strain through a fine mesh strainer.

To Assemble

1. Place about 1 1?2 Tablespoons of the crumble in the bottom of a small cup or

shot glass.

2. Place about 3-4 banana slices in glass, followed by the pastry cream.

3. Top with another slice of banana, whipped cream, and a drizzle of honey, if

desired.

A Chef Kristy Carlucci, Pastry Chef at The Osprey Tavern, exclusive recipe.