The Perfect Ending

Recipe: Passion Fruit Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Pomegranate

As much as I love the perfect ending to a good story or movie, I also love having a perfect ending to a wonderful meal. But most of the times that I have guests over I'm usually fussing over the other things such as the starters and the main course or tidying up the house, making sure at least most things are in their place.

This finally leaves me with no time to plan for and make an elaborate dessert. And I end up serving the easiest dessert I can think of - which is mostly store-bought ice-cream with some custard and fruits. 

As soon as I read about the dessert called panna cotta, I had already planned it in my mind that I was going to serve this dessert the next time I had company. It seemed easy enough to make even when hard-pressed for time. But at the same time it is rich, creamy and exquisite. .



Basically panna cotta is an Italian dessert and it means cooked cream. It can be flavoured as per choice - with fruit or vanilla or chocolate.... you name it.

Since the main course I had planned for was very filling and heavy, I wanted a lighter version of panna cotta with less cream or none at all. I found an interesting recipe for panna cotta at Enlightened Cooking.

Since I couldn't find evaporated milk here,  I had to substitute it with what I had - which was condensed milk. And I flavoured it differently - with passion fruit and topped it with sparkling, red pomegranate seeds. It turned out to be a delightfully refreshing and fruity dessert which was just perfect after a heavy meal.



This dessert needs at least 4 hours to set. So it is best to make this first thing on the morning of the party especially if its a lunch party. Apart from the setting time, it hardly takes any time at all to whip up - just about 20 minutes or less.

PASSION FRUIT YOGHURT PANNA COTTA WITH POMEGRANATE
Adapted from Enlightened Cooking

Ingredients


100% Passion fruit juice (no water added) - 1/3 cup 
I scooped out the flesh from 5 passion fruits, whizzed them in the grinder and strained out the seeds. If you do not have passion fruit, you can use any other 100% fruit juice or even a few drops of vanilla.


Gelatin - 2 tsp
Water - 2 Tbsp


Condensed milk - 2/3 cup (Since the condensed milk was sweet, I didn't have to add any other sweeteners such as honey or sugar)
Low fat yoghurt - 1 cup


Pomegranate seeds - for topping


Mix gelatin with water and keep it aside for 5 minutes.

Whisk yoghurt and passion fruit juice till smooth.

Heat condensed milk in another sauce pan. Then add the dissolved gelatin and stir till mixed well and switch off flame. Wait for 5-8 minutes till the condensed milk cools down a little. (If you add the yoghurt when the condensed milk is very hot, the yoghurt will split)

Once the temperature of the condensed milk has reduced, add the yoghurt and passion fruit mixture in a slow and steady stream whisking continuously.

Pour into shot glasses or pudding bowls and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Just before serving top with pomegranate seeds.

Serve cold - straight out of the fridge.




See ... how easy was that?!

Just a little bit of planning to make this at least 4 hours ahead and you have a stunning dessert.