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 and Florentis, from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe for Panna Cotta and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
Panna Cotta and Florentines
Panna Cotta is nothing new for me and in that sense wasn’t a challenge. I played more with the forms.
molds
Florentines on the other hand, I never ate or done before, so they were sort of a challenge.
Especially because as always, I took a glance on DB Challenge recipe on the beginning of the month, but I didn’t read carefully, so when the time for Florentines came, I realised that I don’t have a dark corn syrup, and I even don’t know what it is, except that it obviously has to be something made from corn.
There is no such thing in Croatia. Or I don’t know for it. And for sure I had no intention to search it.
So, God bless the Google, who say: If your recipe calls for dark corn syrup, we’d suggest using a sugar syrup with a dash of dark treacle or unsulfured molasses, both of which are derived from sugar cane.
So I did. And the Florentines were saved.
For my Croatian readers, if you’ll ever need the dark corn syrup substitute, here’s what I did.
For 60 ml of dark corn syrup, the Florentines recipe called for, I used:
– 20 ml water
– 75 g unrefined cane sugar
Put in the sauce pan, allow melasa to dissolve, boil for a little while, until it became a syrup, and use pretty immediately or you’ll need to dissolve again, because with standing it turns into the caramel.
dark corn syrup substitute
For the matter of panna cotta I decided to make it in round cake shape, with heart shaped middle, as companion with hand made gift box, designed similar as Panna Cota, I made for Florentines.
For that purpose I have divide the amounts of ingredients for Panna Cotta on half, I have made first, I poured in the mould and cooled it for two hours.
Panna Cotta
Then I put the small round shape, and a heart shape in Panna Cotta, not to deep, cause I wanted to be able to remove it later.
Panna Cotta first layer
When you pour the rest of Panna Cotta in the mould divided with shapes, let it cool for a while or it will start to melt your first layer of Panna Cotta and don’t reach the top of smaller shapes. You need a place for your fingers to catch the moulds and pull them out later.
Panna Cotta second layer
Let it cool again for next two hours.
I choose cranberry lemon jelly for heart and border:
Ingredients:
– 250ml cranberry juice
– 200ml sugar
– 150 lemon juice
– 1 package of gelatine or a little less ( in Croatia powder gelatine come in 10g package)
Preparation:
Separate few tablespoons of cranberry juice and sprinkle gelatine over it.
Put the rest of cranberry juice, lemon juice and sugar in the sauce pan, bring it to boil, allow sugar to dissolve, cook for a while, remove the foam if it appears on the top, then remove from the heat and stir the gelatine in it.
Gelatine must not boil, just dissolve it, with stirring in the hot cranberry-lemon syrup. Leave it for a while to cool a bit, so you can pour it on your Panna Cotta without a fear of melting.
Panna Cotta jelly layer
Before you pour your jelly over the Panna Cotta remove the shapes, very carefully out of the Panna Cotta. Use a sharp, thin knife just to separate top of Panna Cotta from moulds, move the shapes very gentle and carefully, right and left, and pull carefully out.
Panna Cotta in molds
And here is the recipe for Panna Cotta and for the Florentines which were mandatory for this month DB Challenge.
Giada’s Panna Cotta
Ingredients:
– 240 ml whole milk
– 7 g unflavoured powdered gelatine
– 720 ml whipping cream (35% butterfat)
– 80 ml honey
– 15 g granulated sugar
– a pinch of salt
I was a bit confuse, cause it says Vanilla Panna Cotta, and there is no vanilla in the recipe, so I put quite a lot of vanilla extract in it for flavour and for the colour as well.
Panna Cotta and Florentines
Preparation:
Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatine evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta).
Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatine.
Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. Whisk it few times.
Add the cream, honey, vanilla, sugar, and pinch of salt.
Making sure the mixture doesn’t boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Add garnishes and serve.
Panna Cotta and Florentines
Nestle Florentine Cookies:
Makes about 21 sandwiched Florentine cookies.
Ingredients:
– 15o g unsalted butter
– 160 g quick oats
– 230 g granulated sugar
– 95 g plain (all purpose) flour
– 60 ml dark corn syrup (see substitute above)
– 60 ml whole milk
– 5 ml pure vanilla extract
– a pinch of salt
– 250 g dark or milk chocolate
Florentines
Preparation:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 190° C.
Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.
To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
Drop a tablespoon full, 75mm apart, onto your prepared baking sheet.
Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.
Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown.
Cool completely on the baking sheets.
While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits a op a saucepan filled with a bit of water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl).
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).
Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.
Remarks:
You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).
Florentines
When it comes for Florentines recipe I’m find 1 tablespoon as amount for one Florentine too much. I used teaspoon, cause they have intension to spread out. And I didn’t have way much over 21 sandwich cookie.
Florentines
Anyway, it was a nice challenge.
We already love Panna Cotta, now we also in love with Florentines.
And they perfectly match together.
Panna Cotta and Florentines
I put my Florentines in decoupaged gift box similar to my Panna Cotta.
The Valentine character of February allows hearts.
Panna Cotta gift box
- 20 ml vode
- 75 g nerafiniranog šećera od trske
- 240 ml mlijeka
- 7 g želatine
- 720 ml vrhnja za šlag
- 80 ml meda
- 15 g kristal šećera
- prstohvat soli
- Stavite šećer i vodu u posudu, pričekajte da se melasa otopi i kratko vrijeme kuha da postane sirup i odmah upotrijebite.
- U suprotnom će se vrlo brzo pretvoriti u karamel, pa ćete morati topiti ponovo.
- Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatine evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta).
- Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatine.
- Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. Whisk it few times.
- Add the cream, honey, vanilla, sugar, and pinch of salt.
- Making sure the mixture doesn’t boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
- Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Add garnishes and serve.
Lea says
March 17, 2011 at 12:39Very beautiful panna cotta, amazing iwth those molds!
And I love how brown your florentine cookies are!
Branka - byB says
March 3, 2011 at 19:13Drage T&T evo i mene konačno kod vas :). Još uvijek “hvatam korak” sa zaostacima, uglavnom u komentiranju , dok sam se novim divotama na blogu već sama za sebe izdivila. Tako sam zadivljena i izvedbom ove panna cotte, kombinacija sa “crvenim” dijelom je odlična, a sve u ovom kalupu sa srcem jako lijepo izgleda. Keksići su mi baš interesantni i sigurno se sve skupa odlično slaže.
marifra79 says
March 3, 2011 at 16:23Mille complimenti!! Per la ricetta e per le foto, sono davvero splendide!!!!!!!!
Un abbraccio e buonissima serata
mojamediteranskakuhinja says
March 1, 2011 at 22:23izvedba je prekrasna – ovo je najljepša pana cotta koju sam ikada vidjela!
mignonne says
March 1, 2011 at 21:36Da znas da bi mi bilo zao naceti onu panna cottu, samo bih pustila da okice uzivaju…svidjaju mi se i keksici sa zobenim pahuljicama, tako su mi fini za grickanje, a jos kad je sve upakovano u ovako lepu kutiju, ma milina za videti!:)))
thedaintyapron says
March 1, 2011 at 18:14Gorgeous job on this challenge! Perfect for February =)
Shangri La Food says
March 1, 2011 at 13:47svaka čast. izgleda svjetski.
mene neće te koje zahtjevaju strpljenje 🙁
Jelena says
March 1, 2011 at 09:40ovo je već kuvanje na jednom drugom nivou, na umetničkom nivou. Davno si prevazišla osnovu svetske kuhinje, i skidam kapu na kreativnosti i umeću. Prosto mi dođe tužno kad vidim neke poznate svetske blogove sa poslasticama, i pomislim, bože pa oni ovo zovu umećem. Šta jedna žena može da napravi u svojoj maloj kuhinji. Bravo!
Ove kekse sam probala i to kao vrhunsku poslasticu preskupu doduše u fensi robnim kućama, onako upakovane u kutije za padanje u nesvest. Ali tvoja kutija je bolja, a keksi su sigurno lepši samo im fali etiketa od 20 dolara za 10 komada!
Pavithra says
March 1, 2011 at 03:42Wow what a wonderful finish..looks awesome. Great work on the challenge.
Snježa says
February 28, 2011 at 19:32Pa i ja sam sa ovo malo znanja engleskog jezika razumjela ovaj post. Odlična ideja za zamjeniti onaj Corn syrup, nekoliko puta mi je zatrebalo ali nisam znala naći zamjenu. Sda znam ali samo da ne zaboravim.
Prekrasan post, slike, ajme meni, boli glava od ovih boja i ljepote:)
Tatjana says
February 28, 2011 at 16:26A jaj jaj jaj,kako sve božanstveno izgleda.Pozadina je predobra.Sline mi još uvijek cure!!!
Tamara says
February 28, 2011 at 15:04Za ovako dobre stvari nikad nije kasno, uživala sam u ovim fotkama i receptima, odlično
Audax says
February 28, 2011 at 14:07I have to say that is one stunning panna cotta it is so beautiful and has a perfect texture. And the colour is superb. And your cookies are so thin crisp and lacy which is exactly what you want exquisite work on this challenge.
Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.
Josipa says
February 28, 2011 at 14:00Wow, ovo je zakon ideja i izvedba! Svaka čast na volji i trudu! 🙂
Evelyn says
February 28, 2011 at 13:34Awesome!!! I loved the layering and the presentation. You gave such inspiration for this dessert. I love the Florentines too. They are so lacy!
Well Done!
Mare says
February 28, 2011 at 13:03fantasticno! cini se kompliciranim i super da si stavila ovoliko fotografija. prelijepo si ovo napravila, torta je za 10!!!
cosmo2503 says
February 28, 2011 at 11:33Ovo izgleda čarobno. Vjeruj da nisu tek prazne riječi, ali ja stvarno ovako lijepu panna cottu nisam vidjela nigdje do sada. Prekrasno, kalupići su se pkazali da ih nisi uzalud mabavila.
Florentinci su predivni, ja sam ih pravila sa javorovim sirupom iz dm-a. Volim mogućnosti koje nude za kombinovanje, možda su mi malo preslatki ali su po svemu fin slatkiš.
Zar taj “corn syrup” nisi mogla naći u bio- bio? Ja sam bila ubjeđena da nešto takvo ima u našoj Makronovi koja prodaje iste proizvode kao vaš bio-bio. U svakom slučaju vjerujem da je zamjena jednako dobro poslužila svrsi.
Roman Tales says
February 28, 2011 at 08:49Prekrasno izgleda … no, panna cotta treba malo dotjerivanja, mislim, to je totalno bezukusan dezert ako se mene pita i k tome kalorican. Sto se pak keksa tice i njih preskacem, ne volim zob u kolacima (zapinje mi medju zube) niti corn syrup … ali zato sve na slikama prekrasno izgleda. Komplimenti, postajes pravi profi fotograf!
lozica says
February 28, 2011 at 08:39Hej, divno izgleda! Moja ruznija polovina (ovo dodje savrseno logicno, ako smo mi vec lepsa polovina, zar ne? ;)) nije bila odusevljena panna cottom, a jos manje kolacicima, tako da je recept ostao bez interesenata i moj challenege bez uoblicenja i objavljivanja. Ali kada vidim tvoje fotografije…hmmm…poezija :).
Nisu li ovi kalupi preslatki? I ja imam te iste, plave ikeine i samo smisljam kako da iskoristim one u obliku macije glave…
Renata says
February 28, 2011 at 08:25Awesome technique! Thanks for sharing your secret! This is probably one of the most creative so far! And your Florentines are so lacy and yummy! Fabulous job on the challenge!
Vladuška says
February 28, 2011 at 06:28mmm, izgleda jako dobro i jako ljepo. Stvarno si majstorica, jer kod tebe nije to, da samo nešto napraviš. Ti to prezentiraš i na tako krasan način.
Tia says
February 28, 2011 at 02:46that is simply adorable! i love the mould. it is absolutely gorgeous. wow all your pics look so fantastic!!! clean and elegant. great job! I did a cheese-cake type panna cotta 🙂
ButtercreamBarbie
shelley c. says
February 28, 2011 at 02:45That pan is absolutely awesome, and made for an absolutely beautiful panna cotta. Great job finding a substitution and making the florentines so beautifully!!
E.K.R says
February 28, 2011 at 00:07How beautiful and perfect looking!! I am so amazed at how great the shapes look. And so perfect for the month hosting valentines day! 🙂 Great job on the challenge.
Casa de vainilla says
February 27, 2011 at 23:45Prelepo!!!
Cristina | Mafalda says
February 27, 2011 at 22:46BEAUTIFUL!!Loved the way you described your technique. Just very inspiring!
Kisses from Mafalda, Portugal
jubistacha says
February 27, 2011 at 22:44Odlično Tadeja, stvarno si se potrudila. Prekrasna je kutijica na zadnjoj slici.
Zondra Art says
February 27, 2011 at 21:36Fantastično za 10+, to je sve što ću napisati!:)