Valentines Day Panna Cotta

My husband and I don’t generally celebrate Valentines day, we consider this a “Hallmark” holiday created to make you spend extra money, I’d much rather save the present buying a celebrating for the dates that a special to us.  Having said that I will use any excuse to make a yummy dessert.  Mr T loves his Panna Cotta, and I’d never tried one before, so thought it was about time I did.  This dessert was a lot easier than I thought, and it turned out delicious!!  I will definitely try this one again.

Ingredients:

Fruit Jelly

5 or 6 strawberries

½ teaspoon gelatine

1 ½ tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup (80 ml) berry fruit juice

Panna Cotta

2 tablespoons gelatine

¼ cup caster sugar

⅔ cup (160 ml) milk

1 ¼ 300 ml thickened cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

This recipe is made in two stages, and requires a few hours in between each until it is ready to serve, so is best made first thing in the morning or even the night before, to ensure it is set in time.

Stage One – Fruit Jelly

Lightly grease four glasses or moulds to prevent sticking, as it was valentines day I wanted to have love hearts on top, to do this slice a strawberry in half, and then cut the tops to resemble a heart, place one flat side down in each glass.  With the remaining strawberries slice into small slices to add to the jelly.

My Strawberry Heart

You will need a small heatproof jug, and a saucepan, that will fit the jug in, fill the saucepan, with water that will go up about 1/3 of the way, then bring to simmer.  In the heatproof jug (I used my glass Pyrex one) pour in lemon and fruit juice, then sprinkle the sugar and gelatine over the top.

Gelatine and Sugar

Stand in the simmering saucepan and stir gently until the sugar and gelatine dissolve.  Pour evenly into the glasses, then add the remaining chopped up strawberries.  Place in the fridge until set, allow at least two hours.

Stand in a pot of water, just make sure the water level is above the juice mix

Stage Two – Panna Cotta

In a small saucepan add milk and cream, sprinkle over the gelatine and sugar. Over a low heat stir until the sugar and gelatine dissolve, do not allow the mixture to boil, stir in the vanilla extract and remove from heat.

  

Add Milk and Cream to saucepan then sprinkle gelatine and sugar over

You will be able to tell from the consistence when it is ready, stir the mixture then get a small part on your spoon to see if there is any granules remaining.

No more granules of sugar or gelatine

Strain the mix and pour into a jug. Allow to cool before pouring into moulds. If your pour the mix into the moulds while still to warm you will melt the jelly.  Once cool, pour over the jelly mix, cover and place in the fridge to set, allow at least 5 hours, or overnight.

Strain into a jug and allow to cool

Once cool pour on top of jelly and place in fridge

Stage Three – Serving

The only trick I found to this dessert is getting it out of the mould to serve!!  The trick I found that works for me is to get a toothpick and slide down the edge of the glass, do this carefully so you don’t mark the sides, do this at three or four points around the glass to let some air in.  When you let the air in, the dessert slides out much easier.

My cheat to get it out!!
Move the toothpick to allow some air in,
and the Panna Cotta will come out easier

See, it worked!!

My Love Heart Panna Cotta
yum yum yum

Serve with your choice of mixed berries or simply by itself, and enjoy.

Adapted from "The Australians Women's Weekly How to Cook Absolutely Everything" 

Bear and Duck

Not a food related post, but I love this company and their gorgeous goodies. www.bearandduck.com stock a range of items for bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and baby. They also offer some starter packs to make your choice easier.

The philosophy behind the company is:

“Luxury products without the platinum price tag. Why wear polyester when you can afford cashmere? Why pay full price when you can get mates’ rates? Why suffer the rib-crushing chaos of the Boxing Day sales when you can do some sneaky internet shopping at work and have your order delivered to your door”

I couldn’t agree with them more!!

What I love about this site, is not only do they provide fantastic quality products, they present them so beautifully. When you order from this site it’s like receiving a present in the post rather than just your order. I’ve purchased from them before and when I saw they had a sale on I couldn’t resist ordering. Besides who couldn’t go past a Egyptian Cotton King size sheet set for $79 with free postage!!

Ordered on Wednesday, arrived on Friday, talk about fast.

I love their boxes!! 

Opening Up......

All wrapped up in brown paper, already looking like a bed with sheets on

My beautiful new "Avocado" sheets

If you want to support a local company who provides quality products, fast service and gorgeous presentation I definitely recommend dropping in to Bear and Duck.

Freckle Cookies

The end of the year, and warmer weather seems to cause event after event.  A family BBQ seemed like the perfect time to create a tasty treat.  As I am currently house sitting, with a very old and un-reliable oven, and I have already had a failed gingerbread house (I blame the oven completely!!)  I decided to stay clear of anything that required too much care.  I decided upon a favourite of everyone, cookies, I already had a packet of Chocolate Freckles, so Freckle Cookies it was!!  You can of course use whatever chocolate you have on hand.

Ingredients:

250 gram Unsalted Butter, softened

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

165 gram (¾ cup) Caster Sugar

165 gram (¾ cup) Brown Sugar, firmly packed   

1 Egg

335 gram (2 ¼ cup) Plain Flour

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

1 packet of Chocolate Freckles

When working with butter always make sure it is at room temperature first, makes beating a lot easier.  Beat the butter, vanilla extract, both sugars and egg until they turn light and fluffy.  


Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda over the egg mixture and stir through.  I broke up about 10 of the freckles to mix through the dough at this stage.

   

Cookie Dough

Freckle Dough

Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour.  Sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Once chilled, pre-heat the oven to 180°C, and line 2 trays with baking paper to avoid sticking.  Place tablespoon sized balls onto the tray , flatten and place a Freckle on top.

Ready for the oven, these where a little too close....

Place in the oven for about 12 minutes, or until a nice golden colour.  Cool on a tray.

Once cool share with your loved ones, but I would also suggest eating one while they are still warm.  You must taste test before serving to others.

38 Cookies packed and ready to go, the recipe made 40,
but two didn't quite make it in there!!

Adapted from "The Australians Women's Weekly How to Cook Absolutely Everything" 

Jelly Belly Factory - Fairfield California

We spent our honeymoon in America, and had a quick two days in San Francisco, the only reason this destination was added was because my Husband wanted to try the Pho Challenge, but I’ll save that story for another day!!

Located in Fairfeild at 1 Jelly Belly Lane, about a 45 minute drive from down town San Francisco is the Jelly Belly Factory, they do free tours on the hour, and you even get a sample bag to take home.  The tour was great, and I highly recommend any Jelly Belly fans to make the trip to from San Fran to visit.

There is a free tasting station where you can try there standard, and special flavours, including saw dust and ear wax, which I wasn’t brave enough to try.  No cameras where allowed on the tour, but it was amazing to see, there are nine steps all up, I have never smelt anything as sweet as walking into the drying room where millions of Jelly Bellies lay in trays waiting until the next process.

There is also lots of fun facts like:

• It takes 7 to 21 days to make a single Jelly Belly jelly bean
• The Blueberry flavor was created for Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in 1981
• Enough Jelly Belly beans were eaten in the last year to circle the earth more than five times

The factory was set up with the tour in mind and you get a great view over the whole factory, you almost expect to see an oompa loompa to stick their head out.

A Jelly Belly Cupcake

At the end of the tour we had a wander around the shop, and stocked up on Jelly Bellies, and a gift or too.  We decided before the drive back we would stop for lunch, and I am so glad we did.

Jelly Belly Hamburgers!!  I loved these!!  They tasted great, and looked pretty cool.  The burger was served on the bun, and there was a salad bar to add whatever you wanted.  This worked well as you could have as much or little as you wanted so everyone is happy, it means you also know it is fresh!

A Jelly Belly Jellybean Burger

Salad bar, a great idea you can add whatever you like to your burgers

We now have a Mystery Bean and a kilo of Belly Flop Jelly Beans to eat through and choose a favourite flavour.

"Belly Flops"  The ones that didn't make it

Mystery Bean Machine, you never know what is coming out next.

Do you have a favourite flavour?





 

Welcome

Welcome to my blog and first post.  I realise I am a few years late for blogging to be cool, but thought I’d give it a go anyway!!  After spending the last 12 months planning our wedding and creating all the invites, menu’s, thank you cards and everything else that goes along with a wedding I needed a new creative outlet.  The thank you cards are sent and our photos are all in albums, which has left me with more time than I am used to.

I love all food, and am willing to give most things a go.  I love all things sweet and enjoy creating cupcakes, cakes, and anything sweet.  I’m not the greatest with savoury food, so need to take more of an interest in it.  I have plenty of cookbooks, just need to open them!!