Home Cooking: Vanilla Panna Cotta with Florentine

Home Cooking is a monthly series where we share creative and tasty recipes for you to try at home!

Winning first place in the preliminary round of the 2016 United Tastes of America: Asian Chef Challenge held in Guangzhou, ‘Guangzhou Sunshine’ is a visually stunning, innovative dessert by Theresa He, a pastry chef at the Garden Hotel, Guangzhou. Composed of an elegant line of crushed matcha, raspberry jelly cubes, edible flowers, a dollop of mascarpone cheese sprinkled with chili powder and spherical, juicy mangoes that burst in the mouth, the recipe offers a light, stimulating conclusion to any summer meal. 

Ingredients: 

Panna Cotta 

• 350g cream

• 150g milk

• 50g sugar

• 1/2 piece vanilla

• 5g gelatin 

Mango Egg

• 5g calcium powder

• 500g water

• 5g seaweed powder

• 500g water

• 500g mango sauce

• 30-Second Chocolate Cake

• 4 eggs

• 80g flour

• 80g milk

• 125g dark chocolate

Mascarpone Cheese

• 50g mascarpone

• 150g heavy cream

• 30g icing sugar

• 40g orange juice

• 40g honeyed walnuts

Florentine

• 250g sugar

• 80g milk 

• 125g flour

• 50g butter

Raspberry Jelly

• 100g raspberries

• 50g water

• 20g sugar

• 8g gelatin

Preparation: 

1. To make the panna cotta: heat the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla together under low heat. Melt the gelatin and add it to the mixture. Pour the mixture into the mold.

2. To make the Florentine: mix all the ingredients together, then form into desired shape. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown.

3. To make the cake: melt the chocolate. Add the egg, flour and milk. Mix in an electric mixer until smooth, then pour into a microwave-safe cup and microwave for 30 seconds.

4. To make the cheese: mix the mascarpone, icing sugar and heavy cream together. Add the orange juice and honeyed walnuts.

5. To make the mango egg: mix the water and calcium powder; add the seaweed powder and mango juice.

6. To make the raspberry jelly: mix the raspberries, sugar and water and heat to 60 degrees Celsius. Melt the gelatin and add into the mixture. Freeze for 20 minutes and then cut into cubes.

7. Arrange each ingredient as shown in photo. Add matcha powder, edible flowers and chili pepper (on top of cheese) if desired.

This recipe is courtesy of Pastry Chef Theresa He at The Connoisseur, The Garden Hotel, Guangzhou.

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