Easy summery pudding
I always think that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. And I manage to continue to think this whilst sitting there munching bar after bar of chocolate. Self-delusion is a wonderful thing. I guess the thing is I don’t like overly sweet things, which is not unfortunately, the same as not liking sweet things at all. But actually making sweet stuff is not really my strong point. It’s all a bit fiddly and time consuming and sugary and really one is better off just not having them, right? But let’s face it, that’s not really going to happen so may as well find things that are more acceptable and taste good, and ideally, look at least a little sophisticated. This panna cotta is definitely in that category. Along with chocolate fondants, which are my super simple go-to pudding when I need something fantastic with almost no effort. But more on that another day.
For now, let’s talk about panna cotta. Without the milk of course, because eating loads of dairy just is not a good thing in my book and I reserve it for the occasional bit of cheese (or homemade kefir – because yes, I am the sort of person who makes their own kefir, but let’s gloss over that). But a dairy-free version of panna cotta is not a problem when you have coconut milk.
- 1 can coconut milk
- 100 ml water
- 4-5 tbsp acacia honey
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp powdered gelatine like Great Lakes brand (or 1 packet regular gelatine)
- Shake the can of coconut milk to mix all well. Open the can and separate into roughly 2 halves. Half the milk should go into a small saucepan, the other half into a bowl.
- To the coconut milk in the bowl, add gelatine and whisk thoroughly to mix. Let stand at least 5 minutes.
- To the coconut milk in the saucepan, add the water and 4 tbsp honey and lime zest. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the coconut milk from the bowl to the rest of the ingredients in the saucepan. Mix well and heat gently. Do NOT boil. Once it is hot or about to simmer, turn off the heat.
- Taste for sweetness and if needed, add more honey bit by bit until you are happy with the sweetness level.
- Mix everything well and pour into 4 ramekins. Then cover with cling film and put into the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. While panna cotta is setting, make the sauce.
- After several hours, the panna cotta will be set and can be served. Run a sharp knife along the sides of the ramekin to loosen and turn it over onto a small plate. Pour over a few tablespoons of the sauce to serve.
