Panna cotta has become a very popular dessert. And what’s not to like? It’s delicious and great option for home cooking as it is an easy and tasty dessert. With this recipe I pull the panna cotta to the next level with some elements that will make it extra special: tonca, chocolate, amaretto and macadamia! The tonca bean is not very known and could be hard to find (substitute it with vanilla in case you can’t find it). It has an amaretto flavour that makes your desserts more exciting. And then: the chocolate mousse. This is one for the books! It is so good that you can make it and serve it as a dessert on its own with some raspberries and nuts. And lastly: let’s not forget the little surprising element of the roasted AND salted macadamias. This dessert will give you everything! Hungry yet? 😉

Panna cotta
375 ml double cream
75 g caster sugar
½ tonka bean, finely grated
3 gelatine leaves

Amaretto jelly
125 ml Amaretto
1,5 gelatine leaf
Juice ½ lemon
25 g caster sugar

Chocolate mousse
65 g caster sugar
30g water
1 egg yolk
1 egg
75 g dark chocolate (at least 68%)
125 ml double cream

Garnish
Cocoa nibs
Roasted and salted macadamia nuts, broken in half or roughly chopped

Directions”

  1. For the panna cotta, soak the gelatine leaf in cold water until softened.
  2. In a pan, combine the sugar, cream and Tonka bean in a pan and bring up to the boil.
  3. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine leaf, add to the cream mix and combine until completely dissolved.
  4. Pass through a fine sieve and carefully pour into serving glasses. Set in the fridge.
  5. For the Amaretto gel, soak the gelatine in cold water until softened. In a pan warm through the Amaretto, sugar and lemon juice. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine and add to the pan and stir until it has completely dissolved. Pass the mix through a fine sieve and set in a small bowl in a fridge for an hour.
  6. For the mousse, break the chocolate into pieces and melt over a bain-marie.
  7. Mix the water and sugar together in a small pan and bring to the boil.
  8. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk and egg and then very slowly incorporate the sugar syrup while whisking continuously.
  9. Pour in the melted chocolate and fold through until well combined. Set in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  10. Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, whisk the cream until thick but not holding peaks. Fold this through the chilled chocolate mix until completely mixed through. Set in the fridge for at least half an hour.
  11. To serve, scoop a quenelle of mousse and place on the panna cotta. Using a teaspoon, add the amaretto jelly around the mousse. Finish with a sprinkle of macadamia and cocoa nibs.