Decadent Chocolate Panna Cotta
So there seems to be a bit of an unwritten rule here on our farm. Should there be some sort of celebratory event for either mum or dad, being birthdays, anniversary’s, mother’s/father’s day, I will be in charge of the dessert for that evening. Now, over the years I’ve had to make my fair share of cakes and groovy desserts but until recently I hadn’t realised that if it’s for mum, I will make something fruity, light and in most cases - pink! If it’s for dad, it’s rich, chocolatey and dark. It’s been a completely subconscious thing over the years. Or at least it has been for me - I’ve received no complaints yet.
When I sat down to start brainstorming what I should present to dad for Father’s day this year it’s not really a surprise that chocolate came straight to mind. Now, if you know my dad you’ll know that when sweets are being served he’ll be the first to proclaim- “I’m not a sweet-tooth! No, no! I don’t want any, I’m a meat man!” However, if you put a lemon meringue pie in front of him, whether he knows it or not, his pupils dilate and you can’t get a word out of him for about 20 minutes.
I have been experimenting with lemons for the past season so I wanted to make something a bit richer while the weather is still cool and although dad could eat lemon meringue every night for dessert for the rest of his life. The rest of us here on the farm need a tiny break from the abundance of lemons we seem to be harboring in our coolroom.
Enter: the chocolate panna cotta!
I’ve seen just about every flavour of panna cotta under the sun. Some borderline ridiculous. It occurred to me that I don’t think I’ve ever come across just a simple, plain chocolate one and if I have, it obviously wasn’t good enough to have left a lasting impression. Which is why I wanted to test out my own. I can’t think of anything better than a silky smooth chocolate panna cotta with a scattering of berries and a drizzle of fudge sauce. Surely something like this would be enough to dilate dad’s pupils for his Father’s day dessert!
So, off to the kitchen I went to do some experimenting which eventually led me to this recipe and if I do say so myself, it’s a good one! So creamy and smooth. The sauce adds an extra hit of chocolate to what is a gentle flavour of chocolate throughout the panna cotta. A garnishing of berries help to balance the richness and make you keep going back for more. It’s a wonder to me why chocolate panna cotta isn’t more popular than it is. Step aside the complexities of Earl Gray tea, or weird pine nut milk! The original classics take one for the team yet again!
Decadent Chocolate Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 300ml cream
- 250ml full-cream milk
- 3 gelatin leaves
- 20g caster sugar
- 100g 40% dark chocolate - chopped
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 200ml condensed milk
- 200g 40% dark chocolate - chopped
- 40ml full-cream milk
- 125g caster sugar
- 20g butter - room temperature
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bloom gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water to soften - about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- In a heavy-based medium sauce pan, add the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla. Over medium heat, stir with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and add chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin leaves and place into the chocolate milk mixture. Continue to stir until dissolved.
- Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a pouring jug. Pour mixture evenly between 6 small ramekins and place in the fridge to set for a minimum of 4 hours or ideally overnight.
- Place, condensed milk, chocolate, sugar, milk and vanilla into a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the mixture melts and comes together as a thick, smooth sauce.
- Remove from the heat and add butter. Use a whisk to stir through the butter. Don't worry if the sauce starts to split - keep whisking until it comes back together. If needed, add 1tbsp of warm milk at a time if the until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Pour into a heat-proof jug and allow to sit at room temperature before placing into the fridge. Remove from the fridge a minimum of 1 hour before serving to allow the sauce to become pour-able again. Add more milk if needed.
- Serve panna cottas either in their ramekins or de-molded onto a plate. Stand the ramekins in a shallow bowl of hot water to help loosen the sides before inverting onto a plate if de-molding.
- Drizzle with fudge sauce and serve with strawberries!