Recipe: Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Berry Sauce
Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Berry Sauce is an exquisite, creamy dessert. The Hibiscus Berry Sauce adds a little tartness to the panna cotta. Easy to make and am sure it will be a show stopper at your next party. I made this dessert for Valentine’s Day and hubby loved it.
I often have hibiscus tea especially during the winter season and love the tart cranberry like flavour. When I was thinking of what to make for the letter H, hibiscus was there right in front of me and blocking my head to other H ingredients or dishes. But I didn’t want to write on how to make the herbal tea. Then I remembered reading that sometime back Hibiscus was a fad in the culinary scene in Paris. Can’t remember which year. It was used for desserts, drinks, sauces and even with seafood.
Sharing This Recipe With 2024 Alphabet Challenge Group
Were you wondering why I was so focused on Hibiscus? Well, I am a part of this fantastic group where every two weeks we share a recipe either beginning with the letter of that week or using an ingredient that begins with it. We’re on letter H. Therefore, the whole focus on Hibiscus. Do you face a situation when an idea enters your head and then you’re not able to think of anything else? That was the case with my obsession of making hibiscus sauce for my favourite dessert panna cotta.
The Alphabet Challenge Journey So Far
A Bit More About Hibiscus Sauce
You can make the sauce using only hibiscus, sugar and water. This would mean more sugar so that it can become syrup like. I added some berries to make the sauce more flavourful and slightly thicker. What I felt was that it lacked a bit of something and I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. When I had my hibiscus tea with some tea masala, immediately I knew what was missing. A bit of spices. So next time I make the sauce I will be adding some spices for more flavour.
How To Use Hibiscus Sauce?
- We had the leftover sauce with some vanilla ice cream and it tasted so good. Let your imagination run and serve it with other desserts.
- Next time using it for pancakes. Am sure it will taste great.
- Add a bit of the sauce in the glass, about 2-3 tbsp. Add ice cubes and then either chilled sparkling or soda water. Makes a refreshing and cooling drink.
- Add hot water to about 1-2 tbsp of the sauce, and you get some comforting, full of antioxidants herbal tea.
Some Recipes With H On My Blog
Hafragrautur is a healthy and filling breakfast with oats. Enjoy it the way they do in Iceland.
Hyderabadi Halwa Ki Puri is specially made during Milad – Un – Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammed, the founder of Islam.
H Recipes By Members Of The Group
Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade Hollandaise Sauce
Culinary Cam: Halva with Fiori di Sicilia
Mayuri’s Jikoni: Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Berry Sauce
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Corned Beef and Cabbage Hash
Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Spicy Hashbrown Waffles
Blogghetti: Grilled Hawaiian Ham Skewers
Palatable Pastime: Batter Fried Halloumi Cheese
Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Food Lust People Love: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
Magical Ingredients: Hummus Herb paratha
Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sweet Honey Deviled Eggs with Fennel Fronds
Ingredients Required For Panna Cotta With Hibiscus Berry Sauce
For The Panna Cotta
Fresh Cream
Use fresh double or whipping cream. That is what makes the panna cotta smooth and creamy.
Milk
As I use 35% fat cream, I use 2% milk. For coconut flavoured panna cotta replace dairy milk with coconut milk.
Gelatin |Agar Agar
Need it as the setting agent. Need either 2½ tsp of gelatin powder or agar agar powder. Add 2-3 tbsp water to allow the setting agent to bloom for 10 minutes. Remember, to set 1 cup of liquid you need 1 tsp of setting agent for soft set. A bit more for a firm set.
Vanilla Extract
If you have vanilla pod, add that to the cream milk mixture and allow it to infuse for 10-15 minutes. I used vanilla extract. If you vanilla paste then use that.
Sugar
Add sugar according to your taste. For my family 4 tbsp is enough. Some recipes call for ½ cup sugar but we find that too sweet.
Salt
Add a generous pinch, it brings out the flavours.
For Hibiscus Berry Sauce
Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Use good quality dried hibiscus blooms or flowers. If you don’t have that then use the hibiscus tea bags. The dried flowers are easily available online or in health stores. If you have a Caribbean store nearby they might be selling some.
Fresh Or Frozen Berries
Optional. I added the berries for a little bit. I didn’t puree the sauce completely.
Sugar
Add according to your taste. For us 2 tbsp was fine. You can add more if required.
Water
Required to make the sauce. And about a tablespoon of water to make the cornstarch slurry.
Cornstarch
Cornflour of cornstarch to make a slurry. This will help to thicken the sauce a bit.
PANNA COTTA WITH HIBISCUS BERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
FOR THE PANNA COTTA
- 2 cups fresh double or whipping cream
- 1 cup milk
- 4-8 tbsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp gelatin or agar agar powder
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
HIBISCUS BERRY SAUCE
- 10 g dried hibiscus flowers approx 8-10
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup fresh or frozen berries
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp cornstarch/ cornflour
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
PREPARATION OF PANNA COTTA
- If you are using a vanilla pod then heat the milk till it becomes hot.
- Split the vanilla pod with a sharp knife, cutting it lengthwise. Scrape out the beans and add to the milk. Add the pod. Take the pan off the heat.
- Cover the pan and allow the vanilla to infuse in the milk for 30 minutes.
- Add gelatin or agar agar to the water and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes.
- Remove the vanilla pod from the milk.
- Add cream, sugar and salt.
- Heat the mixture till it becomes a bit hot. It should not be simmering or boiling. As soon as you see little bubbles on the sides, the mixture is hot.
- Add the gelatin or agar agar mixture and mix till it is infused into the mixture.
- Remove the pan off the heat. Stir a bit to quicken the cooling process.
- Grease 4 ramekin bowls or dessert bowls lightly with any odourless oil.
- Divide the cream milk mixture between the four bowls.
- Cover the bowls with cling film.
- Put the bowls in the fridge so that the panna cotta can set. Overnight is better or for 4-6 hours.
PREPARATION OF HIBISCUS BERRY SAUCE
- In a pan,add water and hibiscus flowers.
- Bring it to a boil. Take the pan off the heat.
- Cover the pan and allow the hibiscus to infuse for 30-60 minutes.
- Strain the water to remove the flowers.
- Return the hibiscus infused water to the pan.
- Heat the water. Add sugar and berries. Allow the mixture to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the berries are soft.
- Mix cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water to make a slurry.
- Add it to the simmering hibiscus berry mixture slowly.
- Stir the mixture continuously till it becomes thick.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the sauce to cool down.
- Transfer it to a jar and store in the fridge till required.
TO SERVE
- Run a knife around the inner side of the bowl to loosen the panna cotta a bit.
- Leave the panna cotta at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with a dessert plate upside down.
- Turn the bowl and plate over. Shake it a little and the panna cotta should slip out from the bowl onto the plate.
- Drizzle the hibiscus berry sauce over the panna cotta and serve.
- Alternately, leave the panna cotta in the bowls add the sauce and serve.
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A Small Request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
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- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962