What the Halva?
Mar. 10th, 2024 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Sesame and Honey Panna Cotta.
"Cool, creamy, light, and jiggly; this one delivers the subtle combination of sesame and honey."
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp cold water
2 1/2 tsp (a 1/4 oz packet) gelatin
1 quart cream (4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
In a small pan, gently toast sesame seeds over low heat. Stir often, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a mortar, add honey, and grind with a mortar to make a smooth paste.
In a small bowl, stir gelatin into water to dissolve. Set aside. Combine cream, sugar, and sesame paste in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Continue simmering gently, stirring occasionally, until sesame paste infuses the cream, about 20 minutes. Don't let it boil. Add vanilla and gelatin to cream; whisk until completely dissolved.Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup, then pour into molds or small serving vessels.
Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover with plastic wrap and leave in fridge for 3-4 hours or, ideally, overnight.
What worked: Tasty flavor that everyone liked. On the edge of too sweet but not quite there, as cold temperature depresses that sensitivity.
I couldn't be arsed to either grind 1/2 cup seeds in a mortar (I used the fud processor) or strain them; that meant there were some seeds in the panna cotta, but I was okay with that.
What didn't: Unlike either of the two previous panna cotta recipes I made, this one didn't set. The top looked set but underneath it was a gloopy consistency. I'm not sure why; I don't think the dairy was too hot for the gelatin to activate. Maybe there wasn't enough gelatin? The dairy was more than either of the two linked, but I'm not sure that was it.
Will I make it again? I might try a half batch with 2x gelatin (scaled) to see if it works without being rubbery and reconsider, but otherwise probably not.
"Cool, creamy, light, and jiggly; this one delivers the subtle combination of sesame and honey."
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp cold water
2 1/2 tsp (a 1/4 oz packet) gelatin
1 quart cream (4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
In a small pan, gently toast sesame seeds over low heat. Stir often, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a mortar, add honey, and grind with a mortar to make a smooth paste.
In a small bowl, stir gelatin into water to dissolve. Set aside. Combine cream, sugar, and sesame paste in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Continue simmering gently, stirring occasionally, until sesame paste infuses the cream, about 20 minutes. Don't let it boil. Add vanilla and gelatin to cream; whisk until completely dissolved.
Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover with plastic wrap and leave in fridge for 3-4 hours or, ideally, overnight.
What worked: Tasty flavor that everyone liked. On the edge of too sweet but not quite there, as cold temperature depresses that sensitivity.
I couldn't be arsed to either grind 1/2 cup seeds in a mortar (I used the fud processor) or strain them; that meant there were some seeds in the panna cotta, but I was okay with that.
What didn't: Unlike either of the two previous panna cotta recipes I made, this one didn't set. The top looked set but underneath it was a gloopy consistency. I'm not sure why; I don't think the dairy was too hot for the gelatin to activate. Maybe there wasn't enough gelatin? The dairy was more than either of the two linked, but I'm not sure that was it.
Will I make it again? I might try a half batch with 2x gelatin (scaled) to see if it works without being rubbery and reconsider, but otherwise probably not.
