Rosemary is a herb with a powerful, fresh, astringent, woody, and citrusy flavor. It is commonly used in savory cooking, adding a distinct taste to roasted meat, barbecues, mushrooms, potatoes, stews, and soups. However, it requires careful handling as overcooking can result in a bitter aftertaste. Rosemary can also be infused into oils, though it's best used quickly to preserve the herb's essence.
While fresh rosemary sprigs are rich in flavor, they may be hard to find and on the expensive side. Dried rosemary, while not a perfect substitute for fresh, is still a good alternative. It pairs well with other herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, and sage.
Beyond its culinary uses, rosemary is known for its potential health benefits. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, and may contribute to mood elevation, eye health, and improved sleep quality.
But have you ever heard of rosemary-infused desserts? Though not very common, this herb can be integrated into sweet dishes that include citrus notes and stone fruits. Try these recipes for your next dessert experiment:
Baked Peaches with Rosemary
Ingredients:
- 4-5 peaches (pitted and cut in half)
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 6 rosemary sprigs or 3 tsp of dried rosemary
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp of oil
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Mix the oil, salt and sugar and brush the pitted peaches with them.
- Sprinkle the dried rosemary on top.
- You can leave them to marinate on the baking tray for a bit or put them instantly in the oven for 5 minutes or till they are soft.
- Serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Lemon and Rosemary Creme Brulee
Ingredients:
- Instant custard powder
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 cup of castor sugar
- 1-1 ½ tsp of dried rosemary
- Muslin cloth spice bag or tea infuser
Instructions:
- Take half cup of castor sugar and place it in an airtight jar with 1 tsp of dried rosemary. Leave it overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Put the ½ tsp of dried rosemary in a tea infuser or muslin cloth bag and infuse the milk as you warm on low heat.
- Then mix in the custard powder, the other half of castor sugar and cook as per label instructions. You can remove the tea infuser before the custard starts thickening.
- Pour this custard into ramekins or a large oven-proof dish.
- Evenly sprinkle the rosemary sugar on top of the custard, then place the ramekins/large dish on the top shelf of the oven. The sugar should quickly caramelize.
- Chill in the fridge and serve chilled.
Orange and Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp of orange zest
- ½ tbsp of dried rosemary
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- ¾ cup of olive oil
- ⅔ cup of milk
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 1 ½ cups of refined flour
- 1 ½ tsp of baking powder
- A pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease your baking vessel.
- Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, orange zest, and dried rosemary in a large bowl.
- Now fold in the olive oil, vanilla essence, milk, and eggs into the dry ingredients.
- Transfer the batter into the baking tin and bake for about half an hour to 35 minutes.
- Let it cool in the pan and then extract it after that.
- You can dust it with powdered sugar if you want.
Lemon Rosemary Granita
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 2-3 tbsp of lemon zest
- 1 cup of lemon juice
- If you want to make an adult version, go for ½ cup of lemon juice and ½ cup of limoncello
Instructions:
- Simmer water, sugar, rosemary and lemon zest in a saucepan. Stir till the sugar’s completely dissolved.
- In a separate bowl mix the lemon juice and limoncello.
- After the sugar-rosemary mixture has cooled down, add it to the juice and liqueur. Strain it to remove the zest and dried rosemary.
- Cool this further in the fridge.
- Pour this into a rectangular plastic container or baking pan, then place it in the freezer.
- Take this out of the freezer every 20-30 minutes and break the ice so it resembles gravel.
- Spoon this into serving bowls. Garnish with a slice of lemon.