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VANILLA BEAN AND YOGURT PANNA COTTA WITH CHERRY JELLY



    The other day I saw these beautiful cherries and I just couldn’t resist buying them, and when I brought them home, I pondered on what to make with these luscious beauties.


    I decided to go with a classic Panna Cotta that my family absolutely adores! This time I switched the flavours up a bit. I used the Greek yoghurt I had in the fridge, and used the cherries to make a cherry jelly to top up the Panna Cotta, bit away from the usual pairing of raspberries. The rich creaminess of Panna Cotta is well balanced with the fruitiness of the cherry jelly, giving the dish a well-rounded and delicious flavour.


    Panna Cotta literally translates to “cooked cream”, and it’s made by thickening sweetened cream with gelatin, then moulded. In this case, the yoghurt I used added some fresh tanginess to the dessert, while still keeping it indulgent and creamy.


    I could gush about Panna Cotta all day, and for good reason - it’s so simple to make and it is one of those desserts that I can prepare in advance for dinner parties, leaving me with less things to make on the day. If you don’t have small moulds on hand, you can easily set it in glasses too, which cuts the hassle of unmoulding.


    This is a recipe you certainly need to try as it proves to be a delight for all the family members. I loveeed the delicate cherry jelly on top but honestly, you can swap it for any small fruit or berry you want! Let me know what you come up with. Please do write the feedback and post comments in the comments section below the recipe. It means the whole world to me to know someone out there is trying out my recipes. You can tag me on my Instagram page: instagram.com/simranskitchenoman/



    PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

    PASSIVE TIME: 8-12 hours or overnight SERVES: 8




    INGREDIENTS


    For Cherry Jelly:

    • 150g fresh cherries

    • 2 gelatin sheets

    • 120ml water

    • 2 tbsp caster sugar


    For Panna Cotta:

    • 500 ml cooking cream

    • 5 tbsp caster sugar

    • 200g full fat yogurt/ Greek yogurt

    • 4 gelatin sheets

    • 1 vanilla bean

    Equipment Needed:

    • 8 Panna Cotta moulds, 125 ml capacity each



    METHOD


    Making Cherry Jelly:

    1. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes.

    2. Wash and cut the cherries in half, remove the seeds and stalks.

    3. Pour water in a small saucepan, add sugar and halved cherries, simmer for 1-2 minutes until sugar is dissolved.

    4. Strain water from the cherries in a heat proof bowl. Reserve the cherries for later use. Place the bowl of cherry water over double boiler.

    5. Squeeze out the water from gelatin sheets, drop them in the bowl of cherry water, stir for few seconds until its completely dissolved. Remove bowl from double boiler and transfer in a small jug.

    6. Take moulds and drop 3-4 cherries at the bottom of each mould. Pour the prepared cherry infused jelly water in each mould just to cover the cherries. Refrigerate for an hour to set.


    Making Panna Cotta:

    1. To make Panna Cotta, soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes.

    2. In a saucepan, pour the cream. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the beans with a knife and add it to the cream. Add sugar to the cream as well. Heat the cream, vanilla beans and sugar, and stir to dissolve, (do not boil the cream).

    3. Squeeze excess water from gelatin sheets and add to the cream. Mix for a minute, until dissolved. Remove from heat and strain.

    4. Whisk yogurt and mix it with cream. Leave to cool completely. Transfer to a pouring jug and pour over the set jelly. Place them in the refrigerator to set overnight.

    5. Dip the set Panna Cotta moulds in hot water for 3 seconds, run a knife around the side to release Panna Cotta from the moulds. Carefully tip it on the serving plates. Serve as is or with a fruit coulis.

    COOK'S NOTES:


    • I used cherries for making the cherry jelly but you can use any other fruit of your choice.

    • If you do not have gelatin sheets you can use gelatin powder as well. Or if you are a pure vegetarian, use agar-agar powder instead to set the jelly and Panna Cotta.

    • Do not boil the cream as the fats from the cream will separate from milk and your Panna Cotta will not have a smooth creamy texture.


    LEMONGRASS AND COCONUT VEGAN PANNA COTTA WITH MANGO MELBA



      What does summer in a glass taste like? It’s a questions us foodies like to experiment with, but I think I’ve found the sure-fire answer: a Lemongrass and Coconut Vegan Panna Cotta with Mango Melba! Each of the ingredients are so lush, tropical and encapsulate the freshness of summer in a unique taste. Mangoes, as you all know, are my absolute favourite fruit, and my obsession runs wild during summer when it’s the peak time for mangoes. I always stock up on crates of mangoes and experiment throughout the hot months. This time I wanted to combine it with two other ingredients that are bold and I love so much: lemongrass and coconut. The flavours of this dessert remind me of when I’ve lived in and visited tropical countries, the citrusy lemongrass and sweet mango pairs so well with the creamy coconut in the panna cotta. Oh, and did I mention it’s vegan?! You won’t even believe it, it tastes just as good, maybe even better than a normal panna cotta.


      Also, I remember mentioning that a panna cotta is one of the easiest desserts to prep and plate beforehand? Here’s the perfect example of how you can make a panna cotta in advance while making the plating look exquisite! The panna cotta can be set in glasses - I used shot glasses for cute individual portions.


      You seriously need to try this because the flavours are so complex and beautiful the only way to actually experience it is to taste the dish itself. Try this recipe and send over the pictures or feedback by commenting down below!

      PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOKING TIME: 7 minutes PASSIVE TIME: 10-12 hours YIELDS: 16-18



      INGREDIENTS


      For coconut panna cotta

      • 400ml coconut cream

      • 100 ml coconut milk

      • 250g coconut yogurt, room temperature

      • 4 lemongrass stalks

      • 7 tbsp caster sugar

      • 1 1/2 tbsp agar agar powder

      • 2 tbsp hot water


      For Mango Melba:

      • 3 alphonso mangoes/ 1 1/2 cup mango pulp

      • 2 tbsp sugar

      • 1 tsp lemon juice


      For Garnish:

      • 1 Alphonso mango, diced into 1cm cubes

      • Few Mint leaves

      • Coconut shavings, toasted


      Equipment Needed:

      • 16-18 shot glasses, 30 ml capacity each



      METHOD


      1. Bruise lemongrass with the back of knife and cut into 2 inch pieces. Pour coconut cream in a saucepan, add lemongrass and heat the cream for 5 minutes on medium to low fire. Do not boil the cream.

      2. Pour the cream in a bowl along with lemongrass, cool it room temperature. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place it in the fridge overnight to accentuate the flavours of lemongrass.

      3. In a small bowl put agar agar powder, pour hot water on top and let it sit for 5 minutes.

      4. Remove coconut cream from the fridge, strain it in a bowl through a fine sieve, squeezing lemongrass with the back of a spoon to let out all the extract from it.

      5. In a small saucepan, pour coconut milk, sugar and soaked agar agar and heat it until agar agar is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour it into the strained cream, and mix to combine well.

      6. Using a hand whisker, whisk the coconut yogurt and add it to the coconut cream mixture. Gently whisk everything together to incorporate. Transfer to a pouring jug.

      7. Place the shot glasses slanted in a small muffin tray. Gently pour the prepared coconut cream up to the rim of glasses and carefully place the tray in the fridge to let it set for 3-4 hours.

      For Mango Melba:

      1. Blend the mango pulp, sugar and lemon juice together and make the purée. Transfer to a pouring jug.

      2. Remove set panna cotta shot glasses, place them straight upwards on a tray. Pour the mango melba up to the rim and stick it in the fridge until used.

      3. Garnish with diced mangoes, mint leaves and toasted coconut shards.


      COOK'S NOTES:


      • Alternatively, pour the cream in silicon or metallic moulds. Let it set for 10-12 hours or overnight.

      • Pour the prepared mango melba in the serving goblets or deep bowls.

      • To serve the panna cotta, dip the moulds for 3-5 seconds in water and unmould on to the mango melba.

      • Serve garnished with diced mangoes and coconut shards or just as it is.

      • I have made it vegan, but if you are not on dietary restrictions you can replace it with gelatin powder or sheets.

      • For making mango melba, you can adjust the quantity of sugar and lemon by adding more or less according to the sweetness of the mangoes.

      • If you wish to make it bit creamy, heat the mango purée and add a small knob of butter to it. It’s completely optional.

      • You can completely skip the sugar and lemon if you don’t want to. Just purée the mangoes and use.



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