The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
This month has been a tad hectic. With Chinese New Year at the start of the month, the preparation for that was chaotic, but fun.
The second half of the month freed up a lil'. But I have an excuse! It was my birthday! teehee.. So yeah, I slacked off until now..
Florentine Cookies
Ingredients
150 g unsalted butter
160 g quick oats
230 g granulated sugar (I only used 30g, and it still turned out pretty sweet to me)
95 g plain (all purpose) flour
60 ml dark corn syrup (I replaced this with 1/4 molasses and 3/4 honey)
60 ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
250 gm dark or milk chocolate (I only used half of this to drizzle ontop)
1) Preheat oven to moderately hot 190°C. Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
2) Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.
3) To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
4)Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.
5) Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
6) While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave, or stove top (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).
7) Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).
8)Either spread on the bottom flat side of the cookies and sandwich them together. Or just put the chocolate in a piping bag and drizzle on top. Or you could do both, which is always good. =)
Chocolate Panna Cotta
Ingredients
240 ml whole milk
1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
480 ml whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
115 g sugar
145 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1) Pour milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, set aside for 2-5 minutes.
2) Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a low boil.
3) Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.
4) Transfer to ramekins, or nice glasses for serving.
5) Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight
Coffee Gelée
Ingredients
480 ml good quality brewed coffee
60 ml hot water + 2 tablespoons
30 ml cold water
115 g granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1) Place granulated sugar and 1/4 c. hot water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2) Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tablespoons cold water and let it soften 2 minutes or so.
3) Stir the coffee, sugar, hot water, and vanilla into a small metal bowl, add gelatin mixture and stir well until gelatin has dissolved. If pouring over Panna Cotta, be sure that this mixture is no longer hot, it will melt Panna Cotta if it is, let it come to room temperature.
Ingredients
150 g unsalted butter
160 g quick oats
230 g granulated sugar (I only used 30g, and it still turned out pretty sweet to me)
95 g plain (all purpose) flour
60 ml dark corn syrup (I replaced this with 1/4 molasses and 3/4 honey)
60 ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
250 gm dark or milk chocolate (I only used half of this to drizzle ontop)
 |  |
1) Preheat oven to moderately hot 190°C. Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
2) Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.
3) To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
4)Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.
5) Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
6) While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave, or stove top (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).
7) Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).
8)Either spread on the bottom flat side of the cookies and sandwich them together. Or just put the chocolate in a piping bag and drizzle on top. Or you could do both, which is always good. =)
 |  |
Chocolate Panna Cotta
Ingredients
240 ml whole milk
1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
480 ml whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
115 g sugar
145 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
 |  |
1) Pour milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, set aside for 2-5 minutes.
2) Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a low boil.
3) Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.
4) Transfer to ramekins, or nice glasses for serving.
5) Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight
Coffee Gelée
Ingredients
480 ml good quality brewed coffee
60 ml hot water + 2 tablespoons
30 ml cold water
115 g granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1) Place granulated sugar and 1/4 c. hot water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2) Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tablespoons cold water and let it soften 2 minutes or so.
3) Stir the coffee, sugar, hot water, and vanilla into a small metal bowl, add gelatin mixture and stir well until gelatin has dissolved. If pouring over Panna Cotta, be sure that this mixture is no longer hot, it will melt Panna Cotta if it is, let it come to room temperature.
The Panna Cotta set beautifully, but the gelee were horrible. They didn't set right and was still liquid-ish.
I also made a Vanilla Panna Cotta with lemon gelee, again the gelee didn't set. I have no idea why.
I wanted to make a dairy free version, but I didn't have time to try them out. Maybe I'll try that sometime soon.
