When it comes to getting the texture of a panna cotta right, there’s a fine line between delicate and refreshing and heavy and chewy (usually the result of using too much gelatine or cream).The marriage of roast almonds infused with the milk makes this a really nice dessert for long summer nights, plus it’s light enough to be enjoyed late in the evening when you’ve got the best of British strawberries to sit alongside.
Almond panna cotta with strawberries
Make use of the infused almonds after they’ve been strained by tossing them in a bit of icing sugar, then baking until they are shiny and crunchy.
Prep 15 min
Infuse 1 hr
Cook 50 min
Set 4 hr+
Serves 4
100g skin-on almonds, roughly chopped
180ml whole milk
400ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
3 gelatine leaves
75g caster sugar
200g strawberries, hulled and chopped
Roast the almonds on a baking tray at 170C (150C fan)/325F/gas 3 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
In a pan, heat the milk and cream with the roasted almonds. Once steaming, remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse for an hour. Strain the almonds through a sieve (reserve the nuts for the garnish) then weigh the liquid. Top it up to 500ml with more cream, if need be.
Combine the strained almonds with the icing sugar, scatter them on a baking tray lined with parchment, and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden all over.
Soak the gelatine in cold water and, once softened, squeeze out the excess water. Heat the milk/cream until steaming, then add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat, and stir in the gelatine until it dissolves.
Divide the mix between dariole moulds or dessert bowls, leave to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for four to six hours, or overnight, until set.
Serve chilled with the strawberries and a sprinkling of roasted almonds.
