Passion Fruit, Cardamom and Ginger Panna Cotta

Who prefers light desserts to heavy puddings? I do; particularly during the festive holiday season when the odd additional course creeps in to ambitious holiday menus. This cheeky light little number has been a surprising hit when entertaining. On top of that, it’s gluten-free.

Perhaps not everyone wants such a light, mini dessert. “What? Is that it?” So cue the macaron. Or two; or three; or six (I never could count.) Et voilà – let’s keep all our holiday elves happy: those watching their waistlines can have a dainty sweet ending, while the others don’t need to let it end and can help themselves to a tray of macarons on the side. No guesses which characteristics are male or female…

I call these pas-de-panique panna cottas since they’re so quick to make and deliciously versatile. Serve them in stemmed glasses and you have a light and tasty dessert; serve them in small shot glasses (the French call them verrines, invented by Philippe Conticini of the Pâtisserie des Rêves) and you have great little party desserts.

However, add a few Parisian macarons and they’re instantly transported to seriously chic French elegance. Accompany them with exotic fruit & coconut macarons, chocolate & exotic fruit macarons (see page 89 of the book) or even chocolate, cardamom & ginger macarons (see page 56.)

I found a classic panna cotta recipe in the Elle magazine at the hairdressers recently – don’t ask me any more information, as I was more interested in Matthew, my coiffeur, scalping me instead of what I think I had asked for. Somehow my French at the hairdressers has never improved. Another story. What I loved was that the recipe was lightly infused with cardamom. It just needed Jilled (we all love adding our own personal note, n’est-ce pas?) So I added a touch of stemmed ginger (who else is a ginger addict as well as macaronivore?) and passion fruit  – especially as we’re spoiled for choice with exotic fruits at the farmers’ markets just now.

Dig through the passionfruit and taste a cardamom-infused velvety cream, then hit a glacé ginger layer at the bottom for an extra surprising finale.

Who didn’t iron that tablecloth?

Passion Fruit, Cardamom and Ginger Panna Cotta

Serves 8 verrines or 4 medium stemmed glasses

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours

3 gelatine leaves (2g each)
400 ml single cream
100 ml whole milk
4 tbsps caster sugar
12 cardamom pods
1 tbsp glacé ginger
4 passionfruits

1. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5-6 minutes.
2. Heat together the cream and milk in a pan with the cardamom pods and the sugar.
3. Crush the pods with the back of a spoon to release the grains, then strain out the pod skins.
4. Squeeze in the gelatine and stir to dissolve into the warm cream.
5. Place ginger cubes at the bottom of each serving glass and pour on the cream.
6. Leave to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
7. When ready to serve, spoon on the pulp of half a passionfruit on each pannacotta.

There is no end to the variations you can make with this easy dessert.
For example, try lemon and ginger pannacottas: simply replace the cardamom with the finely grated rind of an untreated lemon and serve with lemon meringue macarons (page 41).

Just let your imagination take over and have fun.