Panna Cotta is a great dessert that’s not only budget-friendly but also doesn’t require the use of an oven. The latter is a big plus if you have a temperamental oven like mine or simply don’t have an oven. Who knew such a simple dessert like this could be incredibly satisfying to indulge in? I made this for my High Tea Party because it’s a great make-ahead dessert that you’ll just need to refrigerate. You could also serve it as a tart or like me, put it in a mini mason jar!
Not a fan of Earl Grey Tea? You could easily swap out the Earl Grey Tea for any other tea. Or keep it simple with vanilla extract. Then, serve it up with a delicious berry sauce. Decorate your Panna Cotta with an array of beautiful colours from edible flowers. I used these gorgeous edible Rose Petals I got from Taiwan! Also, if you’re planning on using a jelly mould, you can add an extra ¼ tsp of gelatin powder to ensure it holds its shape.
Ingredients
- 250ml / 1 cup Milk
- 125ml / ½ cup Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream
- 1 ½ tbsp (or slightly 1 teabag) Earl Grey loose tea leaves
- Lemon zest from 1 Lemon
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Unflavoured Agar Agar powder or Gelatin powder
- Edible Flowers/Rose Petals/Lavender (optional topping)
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk with the Earl Grey tea leaves and lemon zest. Then, allow the mixture to rest for about an hour. This would allow the tea to infuse with the milk. Be careful not to allow it to simmer or boil because this would cause the milk to curdle.
- Strain the milk mixture into another saucepan. Add in your heavy cream and sugar. Sprinkle in the unflavoured agar agar powder and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Then, heat the mixture over low to medium heat and continuously mix with a whisk until all the sugar has dissolved. The temperature of your milk mixture should not exceed 50°C. Be careful to make sure it doesn’t reach a simmer because you don’t want a hardened mixture.
- Strain the milk mixture into a measuring cup or any cup/jug with a spout. This would help you when you want to pour into individual jars.
- Let the milk mixture in the measuring cup cool down at room temperature before putting in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so. Be sure to periodically whisk it!
- When it’s cooled, pour your Panna Cotta into its individual serving jars or jelly moulds. Let it refrigerate overnight. You can take it out 10-15 minutes before serving and garnish your Panna Cotta with edible flowers. Enjoy!
Original recipe from Kitchen Heals Soul
Inshirah Majid 