Clementine Almond Panna Cotta

This almond flavoured panna cotta is so beautifully light and creamy flavoured by almond milk and vanilla and is like eating almond air. Finished off with a drizzle of clementine caramel syrup and topped with fresh juicy clementines, it doesn’t get more delicious than this. Light, fresh, easy to make – you’ll want to add my Clementine Almond Panna Cotta to your ‘must make’ dessert list.

Wow…that’s all I can say. Actually let me tell you some more. This dessert will blow your mind. It did mine! It’s so simple to make with only a handful of ingredients but jeez the flavour is pure delight. With a light, creamy, smooth yet luxurious texture, this panna cotta literally melts in your mouth.

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So exactly what is Panna Cotta?

Well it originates from Italy and as far as I’m concerned, everything is amazing that comes out of Italy! Technically speaking it’s a sweetened cream that is thickened with gelatine and then set in a mould. The cream itself can be flavoured with vanilla beans, coffee, lemon etc.

More often than not you’ll see the panna cotta served with a fruit coulis, sauce, compote or caramel and topped with your choice of fruit.

Before I knew what panna cotta was, I used to think it was like a custard type dessert but custard require eggs to thicken it, and panna cotta doesn’t have any.

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What are the ingredients used in my Clementine Almond Panna Cotta?

Alright- lets get to the good stuff? The ingredients!

As this one is almond flavoured, instead of using just cream with sugar dissolved it it, I wanted to use almond milk. It is January and that post Christmas feeling is about going slightly healthier than the Christmas holiday desserts consumed!

The ingredients:

• Almond Milk: Forms the base flavour of the panna cotta
• Cream: Provides the rich flavour and texture needed for this dessert
• Sugar: Just a small amount to add sweetness
• Vanilla Bean Paste: Adds flavour but also those little specks are gorgeous sitting on the top of the panna cotta when you unmould it (see them in my image below?!)
• Gelatine Leaves: An absolute must to set the liquid and create that perfect wobble

How do you unmould panna cotta?

Here’s the deal. I was secretly really nervous about unmoulding them – once you commit to getting them out and then what if they stuck or worse, half comeout- game over, ruined. I needn’t have worried.

Here’s a trick that i learnt. Grease the moulds with vegetable oil. Wipe any excess off with paper towel. You want a light layer to cover the surface of the mould you’re using, but not so much that you get a horrid greasy film!

Then once the panna cotta is set, fill a bowl with hot water. Dunk the moulds in the hot water and hold in there for 10-20 second. Then place your serving plate ontop of the mould and quickly and confidently invert the mould. Tap the base of your mould a couple of time and the panna cotta should then slide down onto the plate. (If it doesn’t then place the mould back into the water and before inverting use a sharp knife and run the blade around the edge of mould and repeat.

When the panna cotta is inverted onto your plate give it a little jiggle – if it wobbles then that’s perfect (I’ve heard some describe it like a boob wobble. Ha!)

Buuuut dont worry if you are terrified of de-moulding.

Guess what. You dont have to remove it from the mould at all. Why not choose a beautiful glass to pour the cream mixture into and allow it to set in there. When ready to serve just pour some syrup over, add the fruit and nuts and you have yourself a beautiful dessert!

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How to make the Clementine Caramel Syrup

With only three ingredients, it couldn’t be easier…or more tasty!

Butter. Sugar. Clementine Juice. Thats it!

Place the sugar in a small pan over medium heat and stir whilst the sugar dissolves and slowly turns to a golden colour. Add the knob of butter and stir till it melts. The caramel may feel like its thickening up so add the clementine juice and stir until combined. The juice stops the caramel from solidifying. Heat until it has thicker slightly, into a syrup and then pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Don’t pour it hot onto your panna cotta as it’ll just melt it.

Can panna cotta be made in advance and stored?

The answer is yes and yes. How great is that!

It can be refrigerated and covered in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Now, my panna cottas never last that long so i haven’t tested how they would be to unmould after those three days. To be on the safe side I would de-mould them first then cling wrap gently and refrigerate.

If you fancy trying any other fruity desserts then check out these following recipes:

Dulche de Leche Clementine Cake

Fruit Pavlova with Roasted Plums and Fresh Figs

Roasted Strawberry Mascarpone Ice-cream

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