Use Kevin Dundon's basic recipe and adapt it to bring in flavours according to your personal tastes

Ingredients

  • 2 leaves or sheets of gelatine
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) double (heavy) cream
  • 4 tblsp caster (superfine) sugar
  • 1 tsp or 2–3 sprigs heather or lavender flowers, tied up in a square of muslin (cheesecloth) with kitchen string
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
  • 300 ml (1. cups) buttermilk
  • 70g (1/3 cup) comeragh honey (or use any clear honey – acacia honey works well), to decorate

Method

  • Soak the gelatine in a bowl of water until it is soft, then drain it and squeeze it dry.
  • Set aside.
  • Place the cream, sugar and the bag of heather or lavender sprigs in a saucepan set over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the cream to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the aroma and flavour of the flowers to infuse the cream, then remove the bag of heather sprigs.
  • Add the gelatine to the mixture and stir to dissolve. Then add in the vanilla essence and buttermilk and stir to combine.
  • Pour the mixture into 4 glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Serve drizzled with honey.

Notes

Kevin says, "The Italian word panna cotta means ‘cooked cream’. This Italian desert is very easy to make at home – you simply simmer a mixture of cream, milk and sugar or honey, mix in some gelatine and allow the mixture to cool down and set. It is sure to become a firm family favourite. Use the basic recipe and adapt it to bring in additional flavours according to your personal tastes."