Daring Bakers' Panna Cotta & Florentine Cookies

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.

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.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

There's something about lemony, citrus-y things that appeals to me.
The bright colour?
The refreshing fragrance?
The sour-yet-sweet flavour?

And what is it that makes lemon and poppy seed such a perfect match?
Whatever it is; these cupcakes are yummeh.

The recipe is actually from Joy the Baker, one of my favourite food blogger. I just find her funny; and of course, I torture myself by looking at her photographs while at work. Including these muffins.

Ingredients
2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream (I made my buttermilk using milk and a couple tablespoon of lemon juice)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter, melted until browned and cooled
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping the batter before baking)

For the Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar whisked together with 2 or 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice


1) Preheat oven to 195°C. Line a 12 mold, regular sized muffin tray with paper muffin liners, place the muffin pan on a baking sheet and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar is lightly colored and scented with lemon. (Note: this rubbing releases the essential oil inside the lemon zest.)


3) Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, melted butter and lemon juice.

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together. When almost thoroughly mixed, add the poppy seeds.

5) Divide batter between muffin cups. (I'm so meticulous, I measured each cup.)

6) Sprinkle each would be muffin with granulated sugar.

7) Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

8) Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Somehow mine were a bit sticky; and the muffin case stuck to the cake. I think I'll try this recipe again.