Vanilla Panna Cotta with Soft Peach, Mango & Coconut Jelly

My pantry is like slipping between the doors into Narnia, a wild & fantastical land where wild animals roam free…OK maybe not wild animals, though some weevils did get into my oats & paprika a few weeks back. If anyone has any tips about keeping those little buggers out of my sealed containers I would love to hear it.

My point is, I never really know what is in there.  I am constantly finding little stashes of impulse purchases hidden in it’s enchanted corners. A packet of gelatin sheets, a few cans of organic fruit, a vial of gorgeous (and expensive) vanilla beans I have no recollection of even purchasing.

Panna Cotta is really my ultimate dessert, aside from a nice warm homemade custard I don’t think there are many other things that carry the fragrance of vanilla quite so well. It is actually quite figure friendly also, as the Greek yogurt & buttermilk are low in fat & the sugar can easily be replaced with your favorite sweetener.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

• 150ml plain Greek yogurt
• 100ml pouring cream
• 105ml buttermilk
• 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 sheet of gelatin

Method:

• Fill a bowl with cold water & add the gelatin sheet to soften for 2-4 minutes
• Pour the cream & sugar into a small saucepan & place over low heat, add the vanilla bean & stir for one minute
• Pick up the gelatin sheet & squeeze out the water with your hand, add to the cream & whisk until the sugar & gelatin is dissolved & the mixture is quite warm but not boiling.
• Remove the vanilla pod pieces & scrape the seeds out into the mixture.
• Add the yogurt & the buttermilk & whisk to combine & set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Pour into desired glasses or jars using a funnel & refrigerate

Soft Peach, Mango & Coconut Jelly

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canned peaches drained & mashed
• 1/4 cup canned mangoes drained &  mashed
• 1 sheet gelatin
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp coconut rum

Method:

1. Soften the gelatin sheet in cold water for 2-4 minutes
2. Mash the  mango & peaches in a small saucepan & add coconut rum, sugar & warm over low heat. Squeeze out the gelatin sheet & stir into fruit to combine. Continue stirring for about 3 minutes.
3. Set aside to cool for around 1 hour.
4. Poke the panna cotta with a clean finger to check if it is firm enough to add the layer of jelly, pour over about 1cm of jelly using a funnel to avoid accidents.
5. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

They’re surprisingly moreish for such a creamy dessert. I only found one problem with serving them in the empty jars I found in my cupboard & it was that my spoon couldn’t effectively scrape every last morsel for the bottom of the glass. 

You could make different flavoured jelly toppings for the top of your panna cotta depending on what treasures you find hidden in your kitchen. Honey & pear jelly, maybe champagne & raspberry with that last splash of bubbly you didn’t finish the night before. 

Whats the most interesting thing you have found hidden in your pantry?