Panna cotta with raspberry coulis

My very favourite dessert and so simple to prepare!  Be sure to use enough vanilla, there should definitely be more than just a hint of it!  Tastes luxurious and there’s minimal effort required.  Always a crowd pleaser, so perfect for a dinner party!

Makes 2 large panna cotta

Ingredients:

For the raspberry coulis:

250g of fresh or frozen raspberries
50g icing sugar

For the panna cotta:

75ml milk
300ml double cream
1 1/2 vanilla pods
1 1/2 sheets gelatine
40g icing sugar

Method:

Raspberry Coulis:

• Add the raspberries and icing sugar to a blender and blend until smooth (if the mixture is a little thick, add a tbsp. of cold water).

• Pass the mixture through a fine sieve over a jug and allow to cool.  Serve cold or slightly heated with the panna cotta.

Panna cotta:

• Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water.  Keep in the water until required.
• Pour the milk and two-thirds of the cream into a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pods in half, scrape out the black seeds and put them, along with the pods into the cream. Simmer gently for 5-6 minutes. The mixture will reduce slightly.

• Remove from the cream mixture from the heat and discard the vanilla pods.  Add the softened gelatine to the mixture.
• Fold the icing sugar into the remaining cream and add to the cream mixture.  Now pour the mixture through a fine sieve over a jug.  Pour the mixture into ramekins.  Allow to cool and refrigerate, ideally overnight.

• Serve either straight from the ramekin with the coulis on the side or serve the classic way by dipping the ramekin in hot water for a few seconds and then turn out onto a plate and pour the coulis around it.

Apple Tarte Tatin

This dish was created accidentally in France by Stephanie Tatin in France in the 1880’s and thank god accidents happen!

Tarte Tatin is up there as one of my very favourite desserts and it’s incredibly simple to create!  Just ensure you don’t burn the caramel and that your cooking times are spot on, and you’ll create a truly magical dessert!

Give my version a go…

Ingredients:

• 6 braeburn (or other sweet) apples, peeled, quartered and cored
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 60g/2oz unsalted butter duced
• melted butter for brushing pastry
• Puff pastry, all butter, ready rolled, enough to cover circular roasting tin or oven proof pan
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 vanilla pod (optional), seeds scraped out

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C/gas 6.

2. Put the roasting tin or pan on the hob, over a medium heat.  Cook the sugar and diced butter to a brown caramel, stirring and ensuring it doesn’t burn.  Add a tsp of ground cinnamon and the vanilla seeds.  Give the mixture a stir and cook for a further minute or so.

3. Remove from the heat, brush some of the mixture over the apple quarters and arrange them tight, around the edges of the dish, with the cores facing upwards and towards the centre, then fill in the rest of the dish the same way.  Try to ensure that there are very few gaps between the apples to ensure the tart is dense.   Cook on a medium heat for a further 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly and place the disc of puff pastry on top.  Tuck in the edges against the apples and prick the pastry with a knife to allow some of the steam to escape when cooking.  Brush the pastry with the melted butter.

6. Cook in the oven for a further 25 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and crisp.

7. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes (I like to wait an hour or so) then slide the blade of a sharp knife round the edges and turn upside down onto the serving plate.  Serve with clotted cream or ice cream.