ROSE PANNA COTTA

A very yummy dessert to keep the spirit of spring alive in you whilst the North Pole has come to visit (go home, North Pole) and to try and help digest the kilos of pumpkin brownies and toffee apple pies scoffed down earlier this week. Thank you rose water panna cotta, you're so nice to me unlike the North Pole who has been making my feet so cold.

ROSE PANNA COTTA

with hibiscus sauce & pistachios

60ml (1/4 cup) soya milk or other non-dairy milk

1 teaspoon agar agar flakes (or VegeSet)

400ml (1 ⅔ cups) soya single cream or other non-dairy single cream

1 tablespoon rose water

80g (1/3 cup) caster sugar

Sauce:

240ml (1 cup) hot water

1 tablespoon dried hibiscus

2 tablespoons caster sugar

zest of ½ orange

1 tablespoon corn flour

In a pan, dissolve the agar agar flakes into the soya milk, then add soya cream, rose water and sugar and stir until combined. Transfer the pan onto medium heat and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously. As soon as it starts bubbling up, set a timer to 3 minutes and keep stirring. When the timer goes off, remove from the heat and pour into 4 ramekins or dessert moulds. Let cool for 20-30 minutes, then place in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.

For the sauce, place the dried hibiscus flowers into the hot water and set aside for 20 minutes. Then strain the hibiscus leaves from the water, which should now be dark red. In a small bowl stir together the hibiscus water with the sugar, orange zest, and corn flour until combined. Place onto medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat, let cool completely, then place in the fridge until ready to serve.
When the panna cotta has set, spoon a couple of tablespoons of hibiscus sauce onto a plate and turn out one panna cotta on top. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and get your spoon out.