Red Currant & Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Wow! Red! I don't think I've ever made a dessert this naturally vibrant. I also don't think I've ever made anything with currants. Boy, have I been missing out!
They are so gorgeous and flavourful. Definitely a perfect addition to a vanilla flavoured dessert. Adds that extra zing that it needs.
Did you notice anything else? Perhaps the shiny thing topping the panna cotta?
That's right guys.
I bought gold leaf.
Finally.
I'm kind of glad I didn't buy it sooner because I think all the desserts I make from now on are gonna be covered in gold. Oops.
I'm sorry, I just can't help it. It's quite pretty. I love to eat lavish things, what can I say?

(Speaking of lavish things, I bought a new camera! Super excited to experiment more with it)

Red Currant & Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Makes about three, 3" domes

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

1 cup           heavy cream
1 tsp            vanilla bean pasta
1/2 tsp         vanilla extract
1/4 cup        sugar
3/4 tsp         powdered gelatin
1/4 cup        almond milk
1/4 cup        greek yogurt

In a small saucepan heat the heavy cream and the vanilla. Bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile pour the almond milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over-top and allow to bloom, about 5 minutes.
Once cream is hot, add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the gelatin mixture and stir to melt. Lastly, add the greek yogurt, mix.
Divide the mixture evenly into a set of silicon dome molds. Refrigerate until set, about 6 hours or overnight.

Cinnamon Short Dough

90g          unsalted butter
180g       a.p flour
80g         granulated sugar
10g         brown sugar
1/4 tsp    cinnamon
45ml       milk
2g           baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add all ingredients into a stainless steel bowl. With a pastry cutter mix until just combined.
Flour your work surface and roll out to about 1/8"-1/4" thick.
Use a circle cutter that is slightly bigger than the circumference of the base of the dome mold, as the cookies will shrink slightly when baking. (My dome molds were 3", so I cut circles that were approximately 3 1/2" across)
Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with a silipat. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes before baking. Bake for about 15-18 minutes. They should be quite golden, not pale in the centre.

Red Currant Coulis

1 cup      red currants
1 tbsp     sugar
1 tbsp     water

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Over medium heat bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened.
Pass through a fine sieve and allow to cool before using.

To assemble: Place the silicon dome molds in hot water to help release them. Place one of the cookies on the underside of the dome and flip it out. Place on plate and pour the coulis over-top. Garnish with a sprig of currants and (definitely optional) gold leaf. Enjoy!

 I also quite love how elegant this dessert looks even without the toppings! So simple and delicious. You can really taste the greek yogurt in this panna cotta. If you want to incorporate another flavour into the dessert you could easily use a flavoured yogurt. I think I might try that out next time...

I was super surprised with how delicious the cookie base was. The  simple addition of cinnamon kicked it up a notch. If you can't be bothered to make this whole dessert, I would suggest at LEAST trying the short dough cookies.

Look forward to seeing me post more things with unnecessary additions of gold leaf!

Elanne