Houjicha Panna Cotta

Every time my friend, Jeni comes over for dinner, she will always request for Matcha Panna Cotta and has two servings of it for dessert. This time around, I made it with houjicha instead of matcha and it was an absolute winner. Guess how many servings Jeni had? Two, of course :)

Panna Cotta is one of the easiest desserts to make; it may sound a bit finnicky and labour-intensive BUT it's not. With just seven ingredients, you will be able to wow all your guests and have them requesting for seconds.

Ingredients

4 tsp gelatine powder

80ml water

4-5 tsp houjicha powder

500ml milk, room temperature

500ml whipping cream

120g sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

12x dariole moulds (200-220ml capacity moulds)

Instructions

1. Mix the gelatine powder with water; set aside until it has softened.

2. Take 160ml of the milk from the recipe and mix it with the houjicha powder, set it aside for later use.

3. Place the remaining milk, whipping cream and sugar into a saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Add the softened gelatine powder and stir occasionally, making sure it's completely dissolved.

4. Stir in the houjicha powder milk mixture and add in the vanilla extract. Stir for about 30-60 seconds.

5. Remove from heat and drain it through a fine sieve. If needed, use a spoon to press any residual houjicha powder particles through the sieve.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dariole moulds and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before chilling them in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.

7. To serve; dip the dariole mould into hot water for a 10-15 seconds before turning it upside down onto a plate.

This recipe has been adapted from Layered Matcha Panna Cotta by Christine's Recipes.