Elevate your Plate

With walnut brittle, caramelised pineapple and whipped cream

Backstory:

In warm weather nothing beats a light airy dessert! One of the best examples, I can think of is a panna cotta. Having made a successful one before, I decided to dig out the recipe and make it again. This is how it went….

Recipes:

Coconut Panna Cotta: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/coconut-panna-cotta-with-mango-ginger-nuts

Caramelised pineapple:

• Dice chunks of pineapple into small cubes and set aside
• Add a knob of butter and a few tsps of brown sugar into a small frying pan
• Turn on the heat and let the butter melt, then add in the pineapple cubes and mix
• Fry for 5-7 mins or until a rich golden colour is achieved
• Choose to serve immediately or leave to cool

Walnut Brittle:

• Place a handful of walnuts into a food safe bag
• Tie a knot in the bag and bash the walnuts with a rolling pin (just enough for them to break into a few pieces per nut)
• Remove the walnuts from the bag and spread them out on a tray topped with baking parchment
• Place 4 or 5 tsps of caster sugar and 2 Tbsp of cold water into a pan on a medium/high heat
• Swirl the pan occasionally using its handle
• Remove from heat when an amber colour is achieved and quickly pour the caramel on top of the crushed walnuts
• Leave to cool for 10 mins and serve

Whipped cream:

• Add double cream to a bowl and whisk on a medium setting
• Stop whisking when stiff peaks is achieved

Tips and Tricks:

• I recommend making the panna cotta the night before, to allow for it to set and make for easy assembly the next day
• Be patient when removing the panna cotta from its ramekin, as it can take some time to come loose

Recommendation and rating:

Overall a fantastic summer dessert! The light creamy panna cotta, paired with the sweet slightly sticky pineapple is a tropical delight. The walnut brittle added needed texture and a nutty note whilst the whipped cream refreshed the dish. Eating all the elements at once was just heavenly. The dessert wasn’t too difficult to make, the hardest part was getting the panna cotta out of the ramekin. If you can forgive the slight melting of the panna cotta on the plate, then this dessert gets no less than 5 stars!