Sunday, February 27, 2011

Feb 2011 DC Challenge Panna Cotta & Florentine Cookies

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This was a great challenge tasty, delicious and elegant yet simple, fast and cheap to make. It was panna cotta with Florentine cookies. I haven't made neither of these before so I was excited to read the challenge.

Blog-checking lines: 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.

Recipe Source: I'm going to be completely honest, I'm not the biggest Giada De Laurentiis fan, but I adore this simple recipe of hers for Panna Cotta. It's well reviewed, simple, delicious and has been my go to for quite some time. I hope you enjoy it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/Panna-Cotta-with-fresh-berries-recipe/index.html

Spicy coffee cardamom panna cotta with two types (one chewy and one crisp) of Florentines
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What a fun challenge this was I love simple recipes that produce super delicious results. I only used about 1/4 of the sugar in both of the recipes the original amounts are much too sweet for my tastes. The panna cotta recipe is a breeze I used 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of powdered gelatin for 4 cups (1 litre) of liquid, interestingly in Australia one tablespoon of our most popular brand (Ward's) weighs 14 grams but its strength is half of the normal North American brand (Knox's) that is why we use the same volume as the challenge recipe and not the weight indicated. One tablespoon of Knox's is 7 grams which is the conversion used in the challenge recipe. This is why it is important to read the instructions on the packet on my pack it says 1 tablespoon will gel 1/2 litre (2 cups) to hard-set so obviously 1 tablespoon will gel 1 litre (4 cups the amount in the challenge recipe) to the soft texture needed for panna cotta. I used thickened cream 35% butterfat.

I did two types of Florentines one thin & chewy and the other thick & crisp, I used rolled oats for the chewy version and cornflakes for the crisp version. Florentines are so simple to make yet produce such a pretty result a great recipe. The kids liked the thin and chewy ones the grown-ups mostly liked the thick and crisp ones (as I did).

Making perfect panna cotta
Panna cotta consists of just four ingredients – cream, sugar, flavouring, and gelatin which when combined correctly forms a sophisticated custard of impressive taste with a creamy full-bodied mouth feel and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It is the ultimate comfort food deceptively simple to make yet as with all simple concoctions using a minimum of ingredients the utmost care must be taken in the preforming the different steps of the recipe. Panna cotta is often the victim of mediocrity – commonly in restaurants, cafés and the in home it merely comes as a weakly flavoured cream jelly (jell-o) with poor mouth-feel and flavour. Just throwing in the recommended dose of gelatin, throwing the mixture in the fridge to set will get you so-so results, most of the time. However, armed with a little information you can ensure your dessert will stand out each time. The two most important features of panna cotta are flavour and texture

Flavour enhancement
To obtain maximum flavour in your panna cotta it is best to steep flavour into your product, that is use a cold infusion over a period of 24 to 48 hours for example use fresh mint, tea leaves, coffee and whole spices, or use a liquid addition to the panna cotta like a pulled shot of espresso, orange flower water, and liquors, so steep the flavour into the milk that is heated to melt the gelatin.

Texture enhancement
To obtain the ultimate soft melt-in-your-mouth panna cotta both the gelatin and the cream have to handled carefully.

Gelatin
Gelatin is a protein produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, pigs, and horses. Gelatin is an unusual protein whereas most normal proteins when heated respond by unfolding and bonding permanently to neighbouring proteins (aka coagulating for example poaching an egg), the proteins in gelatin respond to heat by releasing their bonds to each other. The unusually long protein chains in gelatin, when cold, bind to each other via a triple helix structure, which cross link with others to form a web. This web interferes with the movement of the water the gelatin is dispersed in, thus gelling the liquid into a solid.

Many things effect the final texture of a gelatin gelled liquid, particularly the manner in which it is cooled. The warmed liquid, necessary to release the proteins from their initial web and disperse them, is most often immediately placed in the refrigerator and cooled quickly. In doing this, the protein chains bond to each other immediately, and randomly, causing bulky and weak cross sections. By cooling the gelatin slowly, at room temperature, the proteins are allowed to mingle with each other, forming a tighter, more structured web which produces a superior mouth feel and texture.

Cream
Heating cream changes its texture and makes it feel thin on the tongue. So never heat the entire amount of the cream used to make a panna cotta it is best to withhold about 1/4 of the cream.

The shear forces produced by whipping very cold cream breaks the protective layer of the fat globules which makes the cream sticky thus increasing its mouth-feel. So it best to heat only a portion of the cream (which has lost some of it mouth feel due to heating) then add to the dissolved gelatin/milk mixture and then add the gently whipped cream (which has superior mouth feel due to stickiness of burst butter fat globules) .

Conclusion
So to obtain the most flavoursome with the best melt-in-your-mouth textured panna cotta
1. Steep the flavouring up to 48 hours in the milk
2. Bloom your powered gelatin in the cold milk until it is full hydrated at least 30 minutes
3. Gently heat the bloomed gelatin and flavoured milk until the gelatin is fully dissolved (do not boil)
4. Let the dissolved flavoured gelatin mixture cool slowly to room temperature which allows for the protein bonds in gelatin to slowly rearrange and form a tight structured web. If gelatin is cooled too quickly the protein chains form a bulky weak-crossed web which has an unappealing mouth-feel.
5. When the flavoured gelatine mixture has cooled to room temperature heat 3/4 of the cream to blood heat (do not boil) add 2 tablespoons to the cooled gelatin mixture to temper it, then add the rest of the warmed cream
6. Gently whip the other 1/4 of cream (that is very cold) until thickened avoid air bubbles then fold into the gelatin mixture. Let cool 15 minutes then pour into moulds and then place into refrigerator.
7. Limit use of fruit such as fresh or frozen pineapple, kiwi fruit, papayas, pineapple, peaches, mangos, guavas, and figs because the gelatin might not set. These fruit contain enzymes which break apart proteins like the collagen in gelatin. When the fruit is canned or cooked before using, it is heat treated, which destroys the enzyme and the fruit can be used. More acidic fruit, such as strawberries and citrus fruit may require more gelatin to set.

Coffee, cardamom, cumin & caraway with chilli chocolate panna cotta
I decided to make a spicy panna cotta I used instant coffee, cardamom, cumin, caraway seeds, cocoa powder, kecap manis and chilli powder. I just love coffee and cardamom so I used this as my base flavouring and then I added cumin, caraway seeds, cocoa powder, kepcap manis and chilli to add spicy after tastes. I only used a small amount of molasses sugar in the recipe the original amount produces a dessert that is too too sweet for my tastes.

WOW this was superb I loved the look of it the seeds on top were soft and so flavoursome adding an extra flavour burst when tasted while the texture of the custard was perfect soft melt-in-the-mouth I really like panna cotta.

I was very careful to bloom the gelatin in the cold milk for 30 minutes then I gently heated the milk until all the gelatin had dissolved. Then I followed the steps above.

The start of the blooming process notice I placed a thin even layer of powdered gelatin over the cold milk I then placed the cup into the fridge for 30 minutes.
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The fully hydrated gelatin
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Some of the ingredients used, top pile caraway seed, left middle cumin, right middle instant coffee and bottom pile ground cardamom powder.
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The mixture in the mould cooling to room temperature
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Unmoulded panna cotta
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Yum yum the interior of the panna cotta
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Two types of Florentine biscuits
Chewy Cherry Chocolate Florentines
One of my favourite confections is cherry chocolate so I decided to make a Florentine based on that flavour profile. Since it is over 42C (106F) in Sydney Australia at the moment I decided to add some cocoa powder to the mixture so I could get that chocolate taste without using a chocolate coating I used cherry extract also. I only had rolled oats so I used them I found that using these produced a chewy texture to the biscuits and the Florentine didn't spread much. The test batch was devoured by the neighbour's kids I could only save a few for the post. I really liked this style of Florentine with the spicy coffee cardmom panna cotta. The chocolate taste was very intense with a great cherry after taste.

The batter
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A tablespoon of unbaked batter on a silicone mat
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The baked Cherry Chocolate Florentine notice that it didn't spread very much
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The baked Cherry Chocolate Florentine
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Crisp Cornflake glacé cherry Florentines
In Australia Florentines are usually made using cornflakes and glacé cherries and are crisp and thick so I substituted the oats with cornflakes and added some chopped glacé cherries and I coated (very quickly since it was still very hot) half of the biscuit with dark chocolate again I only used a tiny amount of sugar. These were very crisp and thick which is how I like my Florentines.

The baked Cornflake glacé cherry Florentines
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Interior of the Cornflake glacé cherry Florentine
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Spicy coffee cardamom panna cotta with two types (one chewy and one crisp) of Florentines
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How to unmould the panna cotta
I did exactly what the challenge recipe instructed, I run a knife around the set panna cotta (which really breaks the seal between the custard and the container) then I placed the mould in some hot water for a few seconds and inverted it out onto a plate. It is best to have a paper towel ready to get any dips (which I didn't do).

The panna cotta 'somewhat' holds its shape BUT it does change shape a little I noticed, it was super tasty and the texture was melt-in-the-mouth soft yum yum. See here for a great posting from purplehousedirt about unmoulding panna cotta she always produces such stunning challenge recipes.

A big thank you to MissMollary for a wonderful challenge both of the recipes are keepers and I will be making them again very soon.

Liquorice, gin with dark chocolate panna cotta and three fruit panna cotta
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I wanted to make a panna cotta that reminded me of the liquorice all-sorts that I loved as a child. I decided to make a dark chocolate, gin and liquorice panna cotta and to accompany this I made a three fruit (lime, pomegranate and lemon) panna cotta. The liquorice, gin and dark chocolate was superb (gin really goes well with liquorice) it was great to have a small amount and then take some of the three fruit panna cotta, the contrast between the earthy flavoured liquorice/gin/dark chocolate and the light and bright fruit was exquisite I really like how you could choose the amount of each to suit your own tastes. I got some funky retro serving glasses from the local opportunity shop for only 50 cents each.

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I used dried liquorice root soaked in gin overnight to flavour the milk for the liquorice, gin and dark chocolate panna cotta and used agar agar to thicken both the panna cottas.

Lime, pomegranate and lemon panna cotta
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Mushroom and seaweed panna cotta
I wanted to make a savoury panna cotta so I made a creamy panna cotta using dried shiitake mushroom and seaweed paste, I used agar agar to gel the panna cotta. I was careful to use only a 3/4 teaspoon of agar agar for 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) of liquid this is the perfect amount to make a soft set panna cotta. Unmoulding the panna cotta was so easy and the panna cotta had a great wobble.

The great thing about agar agar is that it gels in about 30 minutes at room temperature.

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Gelatin conversions
For our North American bakers if you are using gelatin sheets (that are titanium strength the most common type in the shops) then you should use

1 tablespoons or ¼ oz of powdered gelatin → 4 titanium sheets

This is the substitution that is used in the "Joy of baking" website substitution page how did she get this conversion.

First of all...It all depends on the strength of the sheet gelatin you're using. Sheet gelatins come in a wide variety of quality (and therefore strength). I use, for instance, platinum sheets --which are more expensive, refined, thinner, but more economical--and which have a relative strength of 235 -265g. Silver can be half strength of that... about 130. Bronze is in the range of 125-155, gold 190-220 and titanium 80-130 (titanium is the normal grade that is available in most shops in North America).

Normal Knox gelatin powder 225
Platinum 235-265
Gold 190-220
Silver 130-160
Bronze 125-155
Titanium 90-130


Sooooo.... it may take 3, 4 or 5 sheets to do the same thickening of 4 cups liquid. Thickening is also relative (do you want it to just gel a bit so not runny, or do you want Jell-o Jigglers?)

If you are trying to substitute weights when using sheets, it is far better to use grams, not ounces, as it is more precise with such small amounts. Most sheet gelatin will say on the side of the box what the weight is in grams

As for standard granulated (powdered) Knox gelatin measurements:

1 packet = 1/4 oz = 2 and 1/2 teaspoons (approximately one tablespoon)

Regardless, both kinds of gelatin must first be bloomed (softened in COLD never warm water) and then heated gently (never boiled) to melt/dissolve in order to add. Sheets are usually squeezed out so there's no excess water, and added directly to a warm liquid. Granulated gelatin is usually bloomed in a specific amount of liquid/water, and the whole thing is then warmed to melt and added (both the granular and water which have congealed into one mass). You never just sprinkle granulated gelatin over something you want to thicken.

If you have a cold liquid mixture that you want to add the warm melted gelatin to, then 'temper' it in. That is, don't just try to stir in the liquid gelatin: you will only get little clear lumps or pieces in your mixture. Rather, first stir a small amount of the mix into the gelatin, then add it back into the bigger bowl of mix.

Also, be sure not to use gelatin with bromelin-heavy fruits, like fresh/frozen pineapple, guava, figs, kiwi or ginger root. The Bromelin enzyme destroys the protein bonds in the gelatin, subsequently no gelling will occur. (Cooking or other processing, like canning pineapple,will destroy the bromelin.)

From The Age (an Australian newspaper) I found this formula:
Weight (Bloom 2) = weight (Bloom 1) x square root (Bloom1/Bloom2)

Basically it works like this:
If the Knox's gelatin is your known mass at 1 unit of mass and 225 bloom, it is #1.
and the Silver gelatin is your unknown mass at 160 bloom, it is #2.

Weight (silver) = weight (Knorr) x square root (Knorr bloom / silver bloom)
Weight (silver) = 1 unit x square root (225/160)
Weight (silver) = 1.19 unit

So, for every 1 unit (gram or ounce) of Knox's that is called for, you would use about 1.2 units (gram or ounce) of the silver gelatin.

The simple answer: to go from Knox's to Silver gelatin, just multiply the weight by 1.2

If you are working with a recipe that calls for a specific weight of a specific gelatin (often Knox's powdered gelatin), you can use this equation to substitute a gelatin with a different Bloom value for the one called for in the recipe.

Weight (Gelatin A) = weight (Gelatin B ) x square root (bloom Gelatin B/ bloom Gelatin A)

Or, in this case,

Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = weight (Knox) x square root (Knox bloom / silver bloom)

For example I know that it takes 0.25 oz of Knox powdered gelatin to gel the panna cotta (based on the instructions on the box), but I want to use Silver leaf gelatin instead.

From the manufacturer's information, we know that:
Knox = 225 bloom
Silver = 160 bloom

For this application, to convert from oz Knox to oz silver, the formula is this:
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = weight (Knox) x square root (Knox bloom / silver bloom)
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x square root (225/160)
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x square root (1.40625)
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x 1.185854
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.2964635 oz
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.3 oz (rounded)
to convert from ounces to grams, multiply by 28.35
0.3 oz x 28.35 grams/oz = 8.404740225 grams

To get the number of leaves required -
If the gelatin leaves weigh 2.5 grams each, divide 8.404740225 by 2.5 to determine how many leaves are required.
# of leaves = weight req'd / weight per leaf
# of leaves = 8.404740225 / 2.5
# of leaves = 3.36189609 leaves

So, to replace 0.25 oz of Knox's gelatin, I would have to use 3.36189609 silver gelatin leaves. Which I would round up to 3.5 silver gelatin leaves for convenience.

How many gold sheets do I need to use to set the panna cotta?

From the manufacturer's information, we know that:
Knox = 225 bloom
Gold = 200 bloom

For this application, to convert from oz Knox to oz gold, the formula is this:
Weight (gold leaf gelatin) = weight (Knox) x square root (Knox bloom / silver bloom)
Weight ( gold leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x square root (225/200)
Weight ( gold leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x square root (1.125)
Weight ( gold leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x 1.060660
Weight ( gold leaf gelatin) = 0.265165 oz
Weight ( gold leaf gelatin) = 0.27 oz (rounded)
to convert from ounces to grams, multiply by 28.35
0.27 oz x 28.35 grams/oz = 7.51742775 grams


To get the number of leaves required -
If the gelatin leaves weigh 2.5 grams each, divide 7.51742775 by 2.5 to determine how many leaves are required.
# of leaves = weight req'd / weight per leaf
# of leaves = 7.51742775 / 2.5
# of leaves = 3.0069711 leaves

So, to replace 0.25 oz of Knox gelatin, I would have to use 3 silver gelatin leaves.

So in are panna cotta challenge we need 0.25 ozs of Knox's gelatin so I would have to use 3 silver gelatin leaves.

In North America the sheet gelatin that is normally used is titanium (about 100 bloom strength) so going through the calculations again gives

For this application, to convert from oz Knox to oz titanium, the formula is this:
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = weight (Knox) x square root (Knox bloom / silver bloom)
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x square root (225/100)
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x square root (2.25)
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.25 oz x 1.5
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.375
Weight (silver leaf gelatin) = 0.38 oz (rounded)
to convert from ounces to grams, multiply by 28.35
0.38 oz x 28.35 grams/oz = 10.63125 grams

To get the number of leaves required -
If the gelatin leaves weigh 2.5 grams each, divide 10.63125 by 2.5 to determine how many leaves are required.
# of leaves = weight req'd / weight per leaf
# of leaves = 10.63125 / 2.5
# of leaves = 4.2525 leaves

So, to replace 0.25 oz of Knox's gelatin, I would have to use 4.2525 titanium gelatin leaves. Which I would round up to 4 bronze gelatin leaves for convenience.

¼ oz of powdered gelatin bloom strength 225 → 4 titanium sheets bloom strength 100


Conclusions
¼ oz of powdered gelatin bloom strength 225 → 3½ silver sheets bloom strength 160
¼ oz of powdered gelatin bloom strength 225 → 3 gold sheets bloom strength 200
¼ oz of powdered gelatin bloom strength 225 → 4 titanium sheets bloom strength 100

Using agar agar
Agar-Agar is a flavourless gelling agent, made from seaweed. Agar-Agar is a great substitute for gelatin especially for vegetarians. Unlike gelatin, agar-agar does not contain animal by-products, also it will stay solid at room temperature. Agar-agar has a stiffer consistency than gelatin, but can be prepared smoother. It can be used to make all sorts of interesting meals, savoury and sweet.

Preparation:
Can be bought at many Asian markets and sometimes your at your local grocer. Sold powdered, flaked, crinkled strands or in a block. The powdered form being the easiest to use in the kitchen because it dissolves in water easily. Set 2 cups of liquid using 2 teaspoons powder, 2 Tablespoons flakes or 1 bar, broken up into pieces. Bring water and agar-agar to a boil, stirring for 2 minutes for the powder, (8 mins for the flakes and 12 mins for the bar), then add what ever flavouring you would like. Highly acidic ingredients may need extra agar-agar to set, such as lemons, strawberries and things containing vinegar. Ingredients high in enzymes such as pineapple, mangoes or papaya will need to be cooked before agar-agar is added because the enzymes will break down the agar-agar inhibiting the gelling process. If you want to have a softer outcome try playing with using a high liquid ratio.

82 comments:

Unknown said...

Congrats on this lovely post, you really explored this challenge. Love the chewy version, looks great

Tinygami said...

WOW your post is so incredibly detailed. It makes me feel like a bit of a slacker for only posting the instructions PDF from The Daring Kitchen website :)

Congrats on your successful challenge! I also love how you always create multiple versions each month. You definitely inspire me to be a better Daring Baker.

I love the shape of the inverted Shitake and Seaweed paste Panna Cotta but am wondering how did it taste? Had you had it that way before or were you being completely imaginative in your flavor choices? Either way, very daring.

And lucky you :) It won't be the 27th here for 14 more hours so I have to wait to post my completed challenge results until then :(

Ruth H. said...

That three fruit panna cotta looks so wonderful. You really take some amazing risks with these challenges, and they seem to always pay off beautifully! Thanks for the helpful information, and the wonderful support!!

Kat said...

Amazing as always, Audax. I wish we could buy the larger portions of gelatin here in my little town. I'm going to keep my eyes open and see if I can find it next time I'm in a larger city. It looks far more convenient than the little packets I have to resort to. I love your flavor combos--you're so inspirational!

Linda Vandermeer McCubbin said...

You always go above and beyond with the challenge. I love the florentines, those cornflake ones with the cherries are what I picture when I think of them.

Oh and that gelatine conversion...eeeek lucky I did advanced math when I went to school.

Anonymous said...

oh, I KNEW I should have consulted you before attempting to play around with gelatine! I particularly like the look of your coffee cardamon panna cotta and the chewy florentines. How long did the florentines last?! I'm assuming not long.

Renata said...

Thank you, Audax, for all your helpful information and support during the challenge, for all the detailed information and congratulations on your many faces of this great challenge!
Great that you did a savory version, you were so creative! Hats off to you!

Jane said...

Thanks for all the great tips Audax. That one about steeping the flavouring for 48 hours really helped boost the taste of citrus from kaffir lime leaves in my panna cotta. Love the psychedelic colours in the Martini glasses!

Anonymous said...

Actually to correct you, mango can certainly be used in panna cottas. I've made many successfully and had no problems at all.

Unknown said...

Thanks for all the advice Audax love what you did with the challenge

sara @ Belly Rumbles said...

Oh my goodness, what an amazing collection of panna cotta. I adore the look of the fruit one, great colours to go with the funky glass.

ck said...

Mushroom and seaweed panna cotta? In awe! Your information was invaluable, as always, and I for one am very thankful for all the knowledge and information you share with us. I'd love to taste the spicy coffee cardamom one and I love those funky glasses!

Umm Mymoonah said...

So creamy and delicious, loved your versions and your cookies have turned out perfect, crisp and yummy. I loved the way you presented.

Cakelaw said...

Audax, as ever, your creativity amazes me. I want to borrow those lovely cocktail glasses with the crooked legs - tre cool.

zorra said...

Very impressive how many variation you made. Can´t decide which one is my favourite! :-)

astheroshe said...

Great JOB! I love all your extra tips and plan to use them when i make mone ...today , I hope

shaz said...

Cool funky glasses Audax! And wowee, so many flavours although I must say mushroom and seaweed would not have been my first thoughts when making panna cotta. You are so creative. I was wondering about the challenge Florentines because I've only ever seen the cornflake ones too. Well done on another great challenge.

sanjeeta kk said...

That's a lovely deatiled post, Audax! love the chewy cookies and the Panna cotta. Lovely glassware :)

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

As you usual, I like the way you make magic by combining flavours. Coffee, cardamom, cumin, caraway with chilli and chocolate sounds very interesting.
Have to hand it to you how you meticulously do research for every challenge.
And thank you very much for your lovely comment on my post. I think my agar is probably the same, just that I use it differently because I rarely use it. :)

Unknown said...

The coffee cardamom panna cotta sounds delicious! I would take one of the cherry Florentines to go with it :) . The 3 fruit panna cotta looks so colorful and pretty and the taste combo sounds perfect too :)

Mary said...

A crispy and a chewy florentine--wow! Love cardamom--great job!

Melissa @ Cajun Sugar Pie said...

I love how you swirled the lime, pomegranate, and lemon panna cotta, and your cherry Florentines look yummy!

Suz said...

I love the attention to detail with every challenge you undertake & it clearly pays off. These are absolutely stunning. The interior of that first panna cotta looks so scrummy - the most perfect, creamy texture. Yum! That's probably my favourite flavour too with the coffee and the spice. Mind you, I'm also quite intrigued by the mushroom and seawood!

Mary said...

So many delicious sounding varieties of panna cotta! i could happily make a different flavour every day of the week, but there's a new challenge on its way! I must try the Australian florentines, as I remember a cornflake cookie from childhood and would love to recreate that taste. Great job this month, and fabulous information about gelatin and its substitutes.
:)

Jeanne said...

Everything here sounds so good, but especially the cherry chocolate florentines! Splendid work, as always. Thank you for your comment and advice regarding agar powder. I am excited to give it another go!

Anonymous said...

I must admist, the mushroom and seaweed panna cotta kind of turns my stomach, but the licorice/gin/chocolate version sounds divine!! Great job, as usual
Best- Sandie

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Oh, my did you get creative! FABULOUS! Spicy cardamom? Licorice? Chewy florentines with cherries? You rock!!!

Todd M said...

You are definitely the definition of daring. I am not sure I would like all the flavor combinations you do - but I would certainly like to try them to see.

UFRV said...

Audax, your post is an incredible tutorial and has a wealth of creativity! Thanks for being such a great teacher and fellow DB to all of us. Congrats!

Sweet Artichoke said...

This is an awesome post. Not only because you tried very innovative panne cotte - the coffee and spice one sounds coffeelicious :-), but also for the information you provided. I am totally fascinated by the chemistry aspect of cooking (especially baking) and got really thrilled to read the explanations about whipping the cold cream. Very informative and interesting!

Eat4Fun said...

Terrific look panna cotta and florentine cookies. The glasses you used are cool and funky!

Irvin said...

So thorough and detailed! I love it! On top of that, your panna cottas look gorgeous and the flavors sound fantastic! Whoo hoo!

Also, I so want to make cornflake florentines next time!

Please Do Not Feed The Animals. said...

Ha ha - the extra mile, as always - wonderful. Mushroom and seaweed?? Amazing. I think my favourite is the three fruit one - it just looks amazing!

The Betz Family said...

Wow, such variety, Audax! I don't know that I am ready for the savory version, but the three fruit sounds and looks fantastic. Nice job on the challenge!

Namratha said...

Audax, I learned a whole lot about Gelatin, thanks to you! Also your flavor combinations are absolutely one of a kind and you have me in awe every challenge. Very well done!

Anonymous said...

You're always an inspiration, Audax. Love all of your beautiful interpretations!

Ms. Hobby said...

Everything you made looks wonderful! I really love the ones you made in the martini glasses!

INMA said...

WoW Audax you are so professional, all the information is so useful, wonderful job!!!

Nimi SunilKumar said...

Lovely post..love your glasses..I love your varieties :P

Anonymous said...

Audax,
You really are THE Daring Baker! Such a wonderful and detailed post with so many fabulous ideas. I have been wanting to bake something with liquorice and your panna cotta idea is just fabulous.

pastry said...

wow, this is a cpmplete panacotta tutorial. Very impressive serving in glass!

Sheena said...

Audax, your tips always help me out so much every challenge, and this month was no exception :) I love the sound of the spiced coffee panna cotta, such interesting flavours. And I'm definitely curious as to how the savoury panna cotta tasted..

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

What great creations, so original! I really love your take on that challenge. You are always so creative!

Cheers,

Rosa

Ramya said...

Oo my my..thatz the most innovative Panna Cotta i have ever seen..Seaweed Panna Cotta..
Lovely post..
Appreciate ur patience in creating multiple version of the challenge.

Balise said...

Impressive work, and very informative post... I'm in awe of the variety of the panna cottas you made! :)

shelley c. said...

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I am amazed by the amount of information that you provide to everyone, and how willing you are to help us all to grow and learn as cooks and bakers. Really interesting and innovative panna cottas, too!

Sarah said...

You are so organized. As someone who always posts right on, or more likely after, the deadline I am always stunned by the time you take to fully research the project and to create numerous, completely original variations. Great work again, Audax!

Pavithra Elangovan said...

You are genious always.. absolutely love all the flavors and detailed post.. you are fabulous.

Eileen said...

Wow you really did a great job with all the different versions of the Panna Cotta and cookies. And, shared so much info. Thank you!

Savoring Italy said...

Great details! Love your whole post Audax. I love the chewy Florentines and will have to try them. You did an incredible job. The panna cotta looks divine:)

Faery said...

Audax I simply LOVE your posts, I adore these combination of flavors (the only one I don't know is caraway)the martini cups look wonderful I love the colors and the cookies look delicious too.
((((HUGS))))

Jenn said...

Oh wow - what an amazing assortments of panna cotta! I never even thought about trying a savoury one - cool! Your Florentines look yummy too :)

Elsa said...

Wow you made so many variations! I love how your unmolded Panna Cotta looks! And the cherry chocolate florentine cookies look great too, I love that combination!

Maggie said...

The cornflake/cherry Florentines sound so good! I love all your variations, even a savory one--WOW!

Swathi said...

I love all your version of panna cotta and florentine cookies. thanks for the tips with agar agar it was a really help for me. i enjoyed making them.

Sinful Southern Sweets said...

Great post! Love the flavor combo on the cardomom & coffee. Your florentines look amazing! Great job!

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

I just love all of the different ways you prepared the panna cotta... And, those cookies look wonderful! I especially like the chocolate and cherry ones.

Mafalda Cardoso said...

My God, Audax, I'm trying those cornflakes and cherry florentines TODAY!! They look fabulous! Wonderful job!!
Hugs from Mafalda, Portugal

Tia said...

wow - that is really creative!!! I love your take on this month's challenge. awesome as usual. Buttercreambarbie

Valérie said...

The coffee panna cotta sounds like a delight, and I love the psychedelic swirls on your fruit version! As usual, you are a true goldmine of information!

Unknown said...

What a inventive post - you tried out some incredibly creative flavour combinations. Thanks for sharing so much information and such great tips with us DBs! :)

Unknown said...

The three fruit panna cotta looks delicious! I'm sure it tasted good too! I just love how in depth your posts are, thanks for all the advice!

Robyn Clarke said...

You always come up with amazing flavours and ideas and you've done it again! Looks fantastic

Heather said...

What an absolutely superb presentation, Audax. The lovely panna cottas and different types of biscuits. It's a work of art.

Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon said...

I love all of the creative variations you used for this challenge! Two types of cookies, plus the flavored panna cotta. Lovely work, Daring Baker :)

chef_d said...

Love all the flavor combinations you made both for the panna cotta and the florentine cookies! Great job as usual audax!

Ronda Kisner said...

Amazing! Next time I will have to try your methods.

Lisa said...

Aud..as always, you so rocked this challenge! I'm in love those glasses - they really showcase the beauty of your panna cottas! My fav is the three fruit - the colors are gorgeous pastel! Also love your florentines!

Once again..thank you so much for taking the time to convert my panna cotta prep recipe for me. You made my life so much easier with your knowledge and patience!

Kiwi the Fruit said...

You made so many variations of panna cotta! I'm amazed by your ability and creativity!
And thanks a lot for the detail information about gelatine, I'm always having trouble with gelatined-food and now I think I'm feeling more comfortable about it..thanks!

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy knowing the "why" in addition to the "how". My panna cotta felt a little too Jello-ie. I'm excited to try your method for making it. Your Indian-spiced panna cotta would make a delicious cooling addition to eat with a HOT curry.

Jamie said...

Oooh they are all amazing (as usual)! And I have long wanted to try a savory panna cotta and just love your mushroom version! And the texture on the coffee cardamom panna cotta is perfect! Fab job!

Barbara Bakes said...

Such creative ideas! Love the fun glasses and shapes.

Oggi said...

Everything looks delicious, as always. The chewy cherry chocolate Florentine cookies are a must try.:)

Unknown said...

Amazing, as always!!

I love the multi colored and flavored one. Gorgeous! And it sounds delicious!

Sarah Trivuncic said...

Wow, Audax, I can't believe how many combos you tried. I love the cocktail glass versions, I really want to try Lime, pomegranate and lemon!

Unknown said...

Yum, I really want to try the cadamom one. Thanks for yor agar agar advice this past month. I have some powdered agar agar on its way to me, so I will try again without the flakes.

Simona said...

Love those tall glasses! Chocolate panna cotta is next on my list.

Marisa said...

I am always amazed at your creativity with these challenges. I have to say those spicy coffee pana cottas sound absolutely divine, although I wouldn't say no to the liquorice ones either! Will have to try and track down the liquorice root.

Lea said...

Hey, I LOVE the look of your florentines, and, they got cherry in them! I love that, that must have been delicious! :)

Catalina said...

Wow, Audax! I was so surprised to read about your savoury Panna Cotta. I'm afraid it's not my cup of tea, but who knows, I may fall in love with it. However, I totally love the idea of your spiced Panna Cotta - must have been truly delicious :)

sweetakery said...

Amazing as always, Audax. I wish i had more time to experiment! Love your flavor combos and the details always a big help! Thanks for dropping by and for the comments!. =)

Lea said...

Your panna cotta looks delicious!
I'm quite a new Daring Baker, but the tips are as, as I guess, always, helpful and great!