A dead-easy dessert to help jazz up these monotonous days at home
How’s everyone doing?
I’m doing alright. Been doing some home renos, baking some bread, reading a good book. All in all, not too different than my usual life.
I think this has lasted longer than anyone expected and it’s going to stay this way for the foreseeable future - Canada is saying the social distancing restrictions will stay in place until May at least, possibly into the summer as well.
Judging by the empty flour/baking soda/baking powder/sugar/etc. shelves, I’m assuming people are doing a lot of baking. It’s actually blown my mind how several stores are sold out of basic baking supplies… But baking is a comfort thing, I of all people get that, and this is definitely a time where we all need a little comfort.
While I’m super jazzed that bread making is having a massive moment right now (check out my how-to on bread if you want to get in on it), it’s nice to have something a little special for… well, there’s not much occasions or dinner parties anymore, but a nice dessert could help break up the monotony of the days.
This doesn’t have to have blood orange, it can totally just be regular oranges. Don’t have to do the tuile if you don’t want to. Use instant coffee in the panna cotta if you want. Do whatever, it’s all good.
Coffee Panna Cotta
Makes 4-5 panna cotta depending on size of ramekins
200 g milk
6 g ground coffee
300 g heavy cream
20 g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons gelatin powder
2 tablespoons milk
Honey Tuile
23 g all-purpose flour
38 g butter
33 g granulated sugar
58 g honey
1 orange, zested
Blood Orange Caramel
2 blood oranges, zested and juiced
1 blood orange, supremed
80 g granulated sugar
For the panna cotta, combine the 200 g milk and the ground coffee in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir, take off the heat, and let brew for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the 2 tablespoons of milk and let soak for 5 minutes. Strain the coffee mixture through a fine-mesh seive and re-weigh it. The coffee will have absorbed milk, so top it up to make it 200 g of milk. Transfer to a saucepan and add the sugar and gelatin. Stir over low heat until everything is dissolved.
Take off the heat and add the cream, stirring. Transfer to a easily pourable vessel and pour into ramekins. Let set in the fridge for 4 hours or preferably overnight.
For the tuiles, preheat the oven to 325 F.
Combine the butter, sugar, honey, and orange zest in a saucepan and melt over low heat until everything is dissolved. Take off the heat and pour into a bowl. Add the flour and stir to combine. Wait a few minutes to cool slightly.
On a silpat lined baking sheet, spoon the tuile batter in whatever shapes you want. Make sure they are not too big or the center will not cook at the same rate as the outside. Bake for 5-7 minutes until amber. Remove from the oven and let cool. Alternatively, while the tuiles are still warm, lay them over a rolling pin or against a glass to create different shapes. Once cool, they will retain the shape.
For the caramel, combine your orange juice and zest in a pourable container. Have your orange supremes already done.
In a saucepan set over medium-high heat, make a dry caramel. Deglaze with the orange juice and zest, turn down to low heat. Let the caramel dissolve and reduce until syrupy. Add the supremes and cook for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and let cool.
To serve, get a bowl of hot water and a small knife. Place the panna cotta in the water to warm up the bottom and sides. Run the knife along the edges of the ramekin. Place a plate on top of the ramekin, then invert and gently remove the ramekin.
Top with orange supremes and caramel and tuile shards.