Chocolate panna cotta

Panna cotta is my go-to dessert for a quick and delicious dessert. Once you master a basic recipe the sky's the limit for experimentation. Panna cotta is mostly made from cream and milk which are easily infused with different flavors. Even a simple vanilla panna cotta can be absolutely delicious.

I chose to make a chocolate version. The recipe is very simple and it takes minutes to prepare. I usually make it a day in advance, because it needs time to set. The setting time is about 6 hours but preferably overnight.

I poured my panna cotta in glasses and put them in the fridge.
You can eat it as it is but I added a pomegranate sauce for additional flavor and acidity.
I also had chocolate pastry leftover in the fridge. I made small snowflake cookies and added them to the panna cotta for some crunch.

Chocolate panna cotta

(Makes about 8)

Time:

Cooking: 20min

Baking: 10min

Setting: overnight

For the panna cotta:

• 600g heavy cream
• 250g milk (I used 1,5% fat)
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 100g dark chocolate (chopped)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons Nutella (optional)
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee

For the pomegranate sauce:

• 1 pomegranate 
• white granulated sugar (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the chocolate pastry:

• 25g cocoa powder
• 225g all-purpose flour
• 125g room temperature butter
• 80g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• pinch of salt

Making the panna cotta:

Soak gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water.

Pour milk, cream, instant coffee and sugar in a pot. Place on medium heat. Place chocolate and Nutella in a heat proof bowl. Once the cream mixture in very hot, take off the heat and add the soaked gleatin, stir.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Wait 2 minutes and stir. Use immersion blender (don't incorporate air) to make the mixture completely smooth. Prepare the serving glasses. Pour the mixture in the glasses. Place them in the fridge until set, best overnight.

Making the pomegranate sauce:
Place the seeds (save some for decoration) in a bowl. Blitz with immersion blender. Pour the mixture through a sieve. Pour the juice in a pot and add lemon juice and sugar (depending on how sweet the pomegranate is). Place on medium heat and bring to the boil. Mix the cornstarch with water to make a paste.

Add the paste to the juice and stir. Keep cooking and string until the mixture thickens slightly. Take off the heat and pour in a desired container, set aside to cool completely, store in the fridge.

Making the chocolate cookies:

Mix together flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.

Cream the butter, sugar and salt, together then mix in the flour-cocoa powder mixture. Then add the egg and water so that the mixture comes together.

Gently work it together until you have a ball of dough. 

Wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. 
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and place the rack in the center of the oven.
When the dough is ready, remove it from the fridge and roll it out. Dip your cookie cutter in flour and make cookies. Sprinkle them with shredded coconut.

Place them on a tray lined with baking paper and put in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Assembly:

Take the set panna cotta out of the fridge. Pour over the pomegranate sauce. Add a dollop of whipped cream and place in the cookie. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and enjoy.