Vanilla Panna Cotta

This recipe has been supplied by Broken Nose Vanilla

Serves 6. Five minutes to prepare; five minutes to cook, four hours to refrigerate; then serve…

This silky chilled cream takes well to flavourings such as ginger, caramel, vanilla, almond oil or rosewater. Don’t overflavour it or you will lose the delicate creaminess. This dessert needs at least 4 hours to set.

1.5 cups cream

1.5 cups milk

1 vanilla pod, split, or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup caster sugar

3 tsp gelatine soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water

Flavourless or sweet almond oil

Bring the cream, milk, vanilla and sugar slowly to the boil so the vanilla has time to infuse (this bit is important to get the vanilla flavour). Remove from the heat and take out vanilla pod; scrape the seeds into the custard. Whisk in the soaked gelatine and make sure it has dissolved.

Oil 6 small cups or half-cup pudding mounds with the oil. Pour mixture into oiled moulds. Cool and refrigerate until set.

Serve in moulds or turn out (I prefer to serve in the cups and pile the fruit on top). To remove panna cotta from moulds, run a knife around the edge of each mould and dip the base into hot water for a minute before turning out onto serving plates.

Top with fresh fruit, eg, passionfruit pulp or chopped mango or strawberries or Rainberries*, maybe, and serve.       Yum yum!

*Rainberries available from Galeru www.galeru.com.au