Panna cotta-Daring bakers challenge february 2011

 

The February 2011 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in a kitchen.

She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from Giada De Lauretiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

I make Panna Cotta quite often. I find it to be the ultimate summer desert. It is easy to make and you just make some fruit sauce to go with it and that is it. You ve got yourself perfect and light desert.

This time I made Panna Cotta with caramel sauce, because it is winter here in Croatia and selection of fruit is not all that great and I am not a big fan of frozen fruit.

I made Panna Cotta and Florentines some two weekends ago when some friends came over to our house for dinner and everyone loved it. 

Caramel Sauce Recipe: 

50 g sugar
250 ml heavy cream

Put sugar in a thick bottom pan. Melt sugar into golden brown caramel. Be really careful at this point because caramel is really hot and when you add cream it will start to spatter. Return on stove and cook until caramel melts again ( he will turn solid when you add cream).Put some caramel into glasses and set aside for latter.

Panna Cotta Recipe:

240 ml whole milk

7 g powdered gelatin

720 ml whipping cream

80 ml honey

15 g granulates sugar

Pour the milk into a bowl or a pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly over the milk. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour the milk into saucepan and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot but not boiling, about five minutes. Next, add the cream, honey, sugar and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn t boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into glass over the caramel sauce. Let it cool completely.

Florentine Cookies Recipe:

150 g unsalted butter

160 g quick oats

230 g granulated sugar

95 g flour

60 ml dark corn syrup ( I used honey)

60 ml whole milk

5 ml vanilla extract

pinch of salt

250 g dark chocolate

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from heat. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk vanilla and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, 75 mm apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon , or use a spatula. Bake in preheated oven 6-8 minutes, until cookies and golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets. While the cookies are cooling melt chocolate until smooth either in a microwave or in a double boiler. Peal the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on wire rack set over a sheet of parchment paper. Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom side of your cookie, sandwiching another cookie atop the chocolate.