“A person with taste is merely one who can recognize the greatest beauty in the simplest things.” ― Barbara Taylor Bradford.
We’re moving soon and I don’t plan to transport any perishables, so I’m determined to use up my baking supplies. I discovered I have quite a stash of white chocolate. Funny enough, I used to dislike white chocolate fiercely until a few years ago.
I searched through my recipe collection to find something appealing. The blog already has three different white chocolate cakes, and I’ve used white chocolate in truffles, frosting and blondies, but none of those ideas felt right this time.
Then my friend Neha suggested white chocolate panna cotta with a berry coulis. I love panna cotta, but the berry season was over and imported berries were too expensive, so I improvised and chose a kiwi compote instead.
About the panna cotta: it’s essentially cooked cream. Heat cream (low-fat works fine), add white chocolate for flavor, stir in bloomed gelatin or agar agar, then chill until set. White chocolate panna cotta tends to set a bit firmer than other versions; if you prefer a wobblier texture, reduce the chocolate or the gelatin slightly.
About the compote: compote is fruit cooked in syrup, and kiwi makes a lovely, tart compote. One drawback is that kiwi can turn a little brown when cooked. A helpful tip I found was to stir in some fresh pureed kiwi after cooking to restore a brighter green color. If color isn’t important to you, you can skip that step.
Recipe:
White chocolate panna cotta with kiwi compote
Ingredients
For the panna cotta
- 300 ml low-fat cream (about 1 1/4 cups) I used Amul fresh cream
- 1 tsp powdered gelatin
- 55 grams white chocolate (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the compote
- 3 kiwis
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lime juice
Instructions
To make the panna cotta
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Chill 1/4 cup of the cream. Sprinkle the gelatin over it and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
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Chop the white chocolate into small pieces.
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Heat the remaining cream, then add the chopped chocolate and sugar.
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Stir while heating until the chocolate and sugar melt into the cream.
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Stir in the bloomed gelatin and continue heating gently until the gelatin dissolves. Do not let the mixture boil after adding gelatin.
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Remove from heat and pour into lightly greased moulds or serving glasses. Refrigerate for 3–5 hours to set.
To make the compote
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Peel and finely chop two kiwis.
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In a thick-bottomed saucepan, cook the chopped kiwis with sugar and lime juice until the sugar dissolves.
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Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10 minutes until the fruit softens. Let cool to room temperature and mash any larger pieces with a fork if needed.
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Peel and puree the remaining kiwi and stir the puree into the cooled compote to brighten the color and texture. This step is optional.
To serve
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If using moulds: unmould the set panna cottas onto a plate and spoon a tablespoon of compote on top.
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If using glasses: spoon the compote over the set panna cotta and serve.
Notes
Makes 4 small or 2 large servings. You can double or triple the recipe. Agar agar can be substituted in equal amount for gelatin. For a wobblier panna cotta reduce white chocolate to 1/4 cup or gelatin to 3/4 tsp. Taste the compote as you cook and add more sugar if needed. The pureed kiwi restores color and can be skipped if you prefer.
Panna cotta is all cream; adding white chocolate elevates its richness. The fresh kiwi compote provides a lively counterpoint: the tartness cuts through the sweetness and the green color looks beautiful against the panna cotta’s white surface.
That said, my husband preferred the panna cotta plain, and so did Neha’s husband. You can certainly enjoy it without the compote, but I recommend trying the contrast — it’s worth it.