Vanilla and pistachio panna cotta with hibiscus jelly, fairy floss and gold confetti stars

Serves 6-8 Desserts and puddings

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Method

To make the vanilla panna cotta, soak the gelatine in cold water until soft and floppy.

Put the cream in a small pan and gently heat without boiling. Stir in the vanilla and white chocolate and stir off the heat until completely melted. Lift the gelatine out of the water, squeeze, add to the cream and stir to dissolve. Cover and put aside to cool a little but don’t chill. Stir again and divide among 6 to 8 x 250ml-300ml glasses. Put in the fridge to set for around 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the jelly. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft and floppy. Put the hibiscus in a bowl, add 400ml boiling water and leave to brew for 15 minutes. Strain the pieces out, squeeze the gelatine and stir into the liquid along with the sugar, heating gently if not dissolving. Cover and put aside to cool completely.

As soon as the vanilla panna cotta has set, remove from the fridge. Carefully ladle an even amount of hibiscus jelly into each glass, keeping enough for the final layer and put the glasses back in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, make the pistachio panna cotta. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft and floppy. Grind the pistachio nibs with the sugar to a fine powder in a mini processor.

Put the cream in a pan and gently heat without boiling. Remove from the heat, add a few tbsp cream to the pistachios and blend again to a smooth paste. Add a little more cream and blend again. Lift the gelatine out of the water and squeeze. Mix into the cream in the pan and stir to dissolve. Add the pistachio mixture and stir until smooth, then cover and put aside to cool completely.

When the jelly layer has set, add the pistachio panna cotta. If this has set too much, put the bowl in a basin of very hot water and when it loosens around the edges stir to make it smooth. If it gets too warm just let it cool but keep it runny. Take the glasses out of the fridge and carefully ladle an even amount over the set jelly.

Put back in the fridge and chill for about 30 minutes until set. Divide the remaining hibiscus jelly between each glass and set in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to serve – and not before – decorate with wisps of fairy floss and scatter over some edible gold stars.

This recipe was taken from the Christmas 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.