Sourdough with Marscapone and Honeycomb

A simple, healthy piece of bread can be transformed into a treat with some creamy marscapone and sweet honeycomb. Any kind of whole grain bread is going to be a nutritious choice but it is extra beneficial if the grains are sprouted or if the loaf is a sourdough one. Both of these types have an extra step in the processing that makes the bread easier for us to digest. There is a huge gluten-free movement that has put a bit of a negative connotation on bread, but it has been an important staple for humankind for centuries for a reason. Up until around 100 years ago we ate sourdough bread for thousands of years and we flourished on it, we thrived and we grew into advanced societies.  It is economical, widely available and quite frankly it is delicious. If you have a hard time digesting regular bread and feel bloated or tired after eating it I encourage you to try sourdough, or even a whole wheat sourdough if available, and hopefully it will be a better fit for you.Honeycomb is honey in its most unadulterated version. A drizzle of liquid honey works just as well but if you have some honeycomb lying around or find a package at the store or farmers’ market, this is a good reason to break into it. The fresher the honeycomb is, the softer and meltier the wax structural parts will be. If it has stiffened up, simply warm up the bread before placing the honeycomb on and that should be enough to soften it up again.When a sweet craving hits, I try to go for something like this before reaching for the cake or ice cream. It is full of nutrients including fiber, protein, fats and a score of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals; plus there are no refined sugars. Even when we indulge in sweet treats, the more nutrients present the better because they make it more balanced and more filling, and therefore more satisfying.Marscapone is basically like Italian cream cheese, it is really light and airy, kind of like a cross between whipped cream and cream cheese and it often has a slight tartness to it. For this kind of dish, regular cream cheese, ricotta or brie could all be good substitutes. The finishing touch is a bit of Meyer lemon juice, a fresh burst of balanced citrusy sweetness and tartness. Meyer lemons are made from crossing regular lemons with mandarin oranges so they have properties from both fruits, they are darker in colour and sweeter in flavour than regular lemons but still have a refreshing tang. Generally, if we eat a range of flavours and textures we feel more satiated (mentally and physically), so even though this is way healthier than a piece of cake it just might satisfy any of those types of cravings.