Here in the Southern Hemisphere it is a wonderful 30ºC for the holidays and a white Christmas is not what we are dreaming of. In fact, we dream of floating on a Lilo on a pool with an ice-cold drink and mince-pie instead. Our evenings are filled with barbeques and salads and the smell of sunscreen and watermelon are what makes us think of this time of the year.
For this reason, I’ve redesigned the heavy, warm dessert of traditional Christmas and make it into a light and cool dessert perfect for sunny days and balmy evenings.
Enter Christmas Panne Cotte. A make in advance dessert that you can just turn out of the moulds and decorate before serving to your Christmas guests. You can make them up to two days in advance, keep them in the fridge until you need them.
Place some boiling water in a shallow dish, place the bowls, one at a time in the water for not longer than a minute and then ease them out of the mould onto a plate. Return them to the warm water for a bit longer if they don’t loosen at first. It really is a stress free Christmas dessert.
Merry Christmas to both sides of the equator! Keep warm or chill out, choose the one appropriate to you.
400ml cream
200ml milk
10ml castor sugar
5ml vanilla extract
10ml powdered gelatine
60ml boiling water
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
200ml cream to serve
glace cherries to serve
mint leaves to serve
Grease 6 Panne Cotte moulds, or small dishes that will create a dome when turned out.
In a medium saucepan, heat milk, cream and sugar.
Dissolve gelatine in water, stir well.
When cream is just below boiling ( you will see bubbles around the edge of the saucepan), remove from the heat and add chocolate.
Stir well until all the chocolate is melted, add the gelatine.
Divide the dessert between the 6 bowls and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Turn out onto dessert plates and top with whipped cream, cubes of cherries and a mint sprig.
Serve immediately.
Chocolate Panne Cotte
- 400ml cream
- 200ml milk
- 10ml castor sugar
- 5ml vanilla extract
- 10ml powdered gelatine
- 60ml boiling water
- 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 200ml cream to serve
- glace cherries to serve
- mint leaves to serve
- Grease 6 panne cotte moulds, or small dishes that will create a dome when turned out.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk, cream and sugar.
- Dissolve gelatine in water, stir well.
- When cream is just below boiling ( you will see bubbles around the edge of the saucepan), remove from the heat and add chocolate.
- Stir well until all the chocolate is melted, add the gelatine.
- Divide the dessert between the 6 bowls and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Turn out onto dessert plates and top with whipped cream, cubes of cherries and a mint sprig.
- Serve immediately.
