I made panna cotta! I wanted to do something with blood oranges before they are out of season. Also, I recently purchased some adorable dessert glasses from Pier 1, so it just made sense to go ahead and make panna cotta.
The actual panna cotta layer is silky smooth, everything you would want in texture. I decided to add in freshly ground cardamom to compliment the blood orange. Instead of grinding cardamom you can just crack the pods and let it steep in the heated cream. I used David Lebovitz's panna cotta recipe. It's my second time using the recipe and it never fails.
I think I have a current obsession with making gelée. I just love the pop of color and texture it brings to any dessert. Then there's tons of different flavors you can make it, like the raspberry hibiscus gel I recently made. Also, it's really simple to make. I don't think I'm done with making gelée this year.
I served the panna cotta with candied pistachios. I replaced some of the water in my candied nut recipe with orange blossom water. The nuts gave the dessert a needed crunch element.
Cardamom Panna Cotta
(adapted recipe via David Lebovitz)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/8 tsp cardamom, freshly ground
2 tsp gelatin, powder
3 T cold water
Lightly oil 4-6 glass/custard mold if you plan on unmolding the panna cotta. (I skipped this step)
Heat heavy cream and sugar in saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla paste & cardamom.
Place cold water in a medium size bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water. Let bloom for 5-10 mins.
Pour the warm cream over the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin dissolves.
Divide the panna cotta into the molds. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
Blood Orange Gelée
1/2 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (4-6 oranges), divided
3/4 tsp gelatin
1 T sugar
1 blood orange, segmented
Place 2 T of blood orange juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the juice. Let bloom for 5 mins.
Heat remaining juice and 1 T sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add in the gelatin. Whisk until gelatin has fully dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat.
Remove chilled panna cotta from the fridge. Place 2-3 segmented oranges slices on each one.
Pour gelée mixture over the chilled panna cotta, just partially covering the segmented oranges.
Chill for 1 hour or until gelée has set.