ELDERFLOWER PANNACOTTA

Ingredients

  • 500ml Double cream
  • 450ml Full-fat milk
  • 10 Large elderflower heads, flowers picked or 25g of essence
  • 1 Vanilla pod, seeds scraped out, or 1 tbsp of essence
  • 5 Gelatine leaves
  • 85g Golden caster sugar

FOR THE CRUMBLE

  • 75g Butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 75g Plain flour
  • 50g Golden caster sugar
  • 25g Ground almonds

TO SERVE

  • 250g Punnet strawberries, tops trimmed
  • 1 tbsp Golden caster sugar
  • A few picked elderflowers, to decorate

 

 

Method

  1. Put the cream, milk, flowers, vanilla pod and seed in a pan set over a gentle heat. As soon as the liquid starts to simmer, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. 
  2. Meanwhile, for the crumble, tip the butter into a small pan and head gently until it has turned a deep brown and smells nutty. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool at room temperature until firm.
  3. Once the cream mixture has cooled, lightly grease the insides of six 150ml dariole moulds. Alternatively set in glasses or dessert pots that are 250ml. Soak the galatine leaves in cold water for 10 mins. Strain the cooled cream mixture through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the elderflowers and vanilla pod. Tip in the sugar and stir to dissolve. Set over a low head and bring back to a simmer, then pour into a large jug. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the gelatine and stire into the hot cream until melted. Keep stirring until the mixture has cooled and thickened slightly, so that all the vanilla seeds don't sink to the bottom. Pour into the moulds and chill for at least 4 hours until set.
  4. Head oven to 180C/160C fan/gas. Rub the browned butter into the flour, then stir through the sugar and almonds. Spread out onto a tray lined with baking parchment/ Bake for 25-30 mins until golden, stirring a few times. Leave to cool. 
  5. Slice the strawberries, then mix with the sugar and 1 tsp water. Set aside to macerate for 20 mins. 
  6. Turn the pannacottas out onto plates, or leave in their glasses if you have not used moulds. Top with strawberries and their juices. Sprinkle over some of the crumble, and decorative elderflower on top.