Coconut-vanilla bean pana cotta and blood orange gelee

For those who don’t the snow,don’t shoot me. But what’s the point of winter without a few snow covered days. Let’s not forget snowscapes to be had as well. The images of tree line at Loch Raven Reservoir laden with snow with lake frozen in the foreground.Maybe we’ll be lucky before Punxsutawney Phil decides how much longer we have. For my friends in Europe, sorry for the snow blast you guys had and you are welcome to send some this way.

While the snow is taking is time to arrive, I decided to make cold desert with hints of the tropics. Coconuts, a hint of tartness and sweetness from oranges and passion fruit. what’s not to love about this.

Coconut-vanilla bean pana cotta and blood orange gelee

Ingredients

Coconut-vanilla bean pana cotta
1 can of coconut milk (16 oz)
1/4 cup of sugar ( you can reduce this based on your taste)
1/2 vanilla bean
2 tbs water
1 sachet of gelatin

Blood orange gelee
3 tbs of sugar
1 sachet of gelatin
2 tbs of water
16 oz of blood orange juice ( I just used the rinsed out can of coconut milk
Zest of 1 blood orange

Space in the freezer
Containers for the pana cotta (use metal containers if you plan on umolding the pana cotta)

Directions

1. Scrape the vanilla bean with back of a knife and add to the coconut milk.
2. Heat the coconut milk and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Hydrate the gelatin in the 2 tablespoons of water. Stir to make sure there are no dry granules.
4. Add the gelatin to the warm coconut milk and stir until the coconut milk until the gelatin is properly dissolved.
5. Strain the coconut mixture through a sieve and keep warm in a pot filled with water just simmering on the stove.
6. Heat the blood orange and sugar in a sauce pan till the sugar is dissolved.
7. Hydrate the gelatin.
8. Dissolve the gelatin in the blood orange mix.
9. Add the orange zest and stir.
10. Keep the mixture warm in simmering pot of water.
11. Pour a little bit of the coconut mixture into all you containers and place in the freezer for 45 -60 mins depending on you container size.
12. Remove from the oven and pour a bit of the blood orange mix over the coconut pana cotta.
13. Return to the freezer and let set for another 45-60 mins.
14. Remove from fridge and create another layer of coconut pana cotta and return to the freezer.
15. Repeat this process depending on the number of alternating layers your want.
16. Dip the container in some warm water for 10s when you are ready to unmold.
17. Or just enjoy in the serving container.
18. I topped mine off with some fresh passion fruit