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Spruce Tip Panna Cotta<\/p>\nSpruce Tip Panna Cotta<\/p>\n
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1 cup evergreen tips<\/p>\n
2 cups heavy cream<\/p>\n
1 cup whole milk<\/p>\n
1\/2 T. unflavored gelatin powder<\/p>\n
2 1\/2 T. sugar<\/p>\n
1 T. water<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Combine the spruce tips, milk, and cream in a blender, and use a low to medium speed to break up the needles. You don\u2019t need to pulverize the spruce tips, but breaking up the needles increases their surface area and releases more flavor. I don\u2019t use the high setting on my Vitamix because I\u2019m afraid that might churn the cream into butter. I\u2019ve never tested this theory, because I don\u2019t want to waste perfectly good cream, but now that I think of it, ending up with spruce tip infused butter wouldn\u2019t be the worst thing in the world. It just wouldn\u2019t be dessert. Refrigerate the cream\/milk overnight, or for up to 24 hours. The next day, strain the liquid, pressing on the needles to remove as much liquid as possible. You\u2019ll probably want to do a second straining, or squeeze the cream through a jelly bag or cheesecloth to catch the little bits of tree. You should end up with about 2 cups of dairy. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water to let the gelatin bloom. It will be ready by the time you need it. Combine the strained cream\/milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring it just to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it\u2019s completely dissolved. Rub a little of the liquid between your fingers to make sure it\u2019s silky, not grainy. If it\u2019s grainy, keep whisking until the liquid is smooth. As soon as the gelatin has fully dissolved, place the saucepan in an ice bath: a shallow pot or pan, filled halfway with a combination of ice cubes and water. Sit the bottom of the saucepan in the ice and whisk the cream until it\u2019s lukewarm. You\u2019ll know you\u2019ve reached this point when the liquid feels neither warm nor cold against your finger. This is an essential step, without which the texture of your panna cotta will not be right. Pour the lukewarm liquid into mini-canning jars or ramekins, and refrigerate until jiggly (4 hours or overnight). I use 4 oz. canning jars because each one has its own lid and I don\u2019t have to use that infernal plastic wrap. I also have loads of canning jars and they\u2019re cute. Dessert should appeal to both the eyes and the stomach, don\u2019t you think? Your spruce tip panna cotta can be served plain, or if you happen to have some brown sugar\/spruce tip syrup in the back of your refrigerator, pour a drizzle of syrup onto each serving for an extra shot of flavor. Feel free to play around with different edible evergreens (spruce, fir, and hemlock are all tasty; pine is meh; yew is toxic) and see which flavors please you most. And be prepared to field some questions from your pleasantly surprised dinner guests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Spruce Tip Panna Cotta 1 cup evergreen tips 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1\/2 T. unflavored gelatin powder 2 1\/2 T. sugar 1 T. water Combine the spruce tips, milk, and cream in a blender, and use a low to medium speed to break up the needles. You don\u2019t need to pulverize the spruce tips, but breaking up the needles increases their surface area and releases more flavor. I don\u2019t use the high setting on…<\/p>\n