vanilla & white chocolate panna cotta with roasted & stewed rhubarb
It's rhubarb season, the days are getting longer and warmer (well slightly) and Mother's Day is just around the corner...sooo what could be more perfect than a deliciously rich and creamy chilled dessert?
This vanilla and white chocolate panna cotta with roasted and stewed rhubarb is the ease and simplicity you have been waiting for in a dessert. I love panna cotta for the fact that you can make it a few days in advance to big gatherings and then you have at least one step out of the way the day of your gathering.
Isn't it the worst when you have planned family time together and you only get to hear everyone laughing and giggling in the background because you are stuck in the kitchen sweating and cooking and cutting and preparing? I think the more steps we can get done a few days before hand the better when it comes to big dinners.
Don't get me wrong I absolutely love the cooking and preparing and cutting time but I also love the laughing and giggling time too. Unless of course you have everyone gather around the kitchen island helping you...which I know isn't always possible with smaller kitchens so some day before preps are always nice to have in your back pocket. Hence this panna cotta...
It showcases rhubarb in two ways stewed and roasted and there is some Greek yogurt mixed into the creamy panna cotta custard which gives it the most lovely little tang. Not too sweet, just right.
It's simple, it's beautiful, it's tasty and it will sure make any momma out their happy, as I am sure any homemade dessert would (that is the special thing about momma's they are so easy to please, aren't they sweet?!).
However you are spending the day, whether it is with your momma, with your kids, with your furbabies I hope it is precious and I hope it includes some kind of dessert even if it isn't this panna cotta and I hope it includes a whole lot of laughing because that my dear friends is the beauty of life xx
vanilla & white chocolate panna cotta with strewed & roasted rhubarb
panna cotta ingredients
1 cup white chocolate
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup cane sugar
2 tbsp pure vanilla
2 tbsp boiling water
2 packages of gelatine (or 2 tbsp)
1 cup plain greek yogurt
roasted & stewed rhubarb
8 stalks of rhubarb
4 tbsp of cane sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
juice of half a lemon
directions
for the panna cotta:
in a medium sauce pan over low heat combine the white chocolate, cream, cane sugar and vanilla. cook, stirring for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and heated through. set aside
in a small bowl add the gelatine packets, pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over the gelatine. using a form whisk to dissolve the gelatine. add the gelatine to the cream mixture and let cool for 10 minutes. after it has slightly cooled, whisk in the greek yogurt then pour the mixture into serving dishes.
refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.
for the rhubarb:
preheat the oven to 425 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
cut up 3 of the stalks of rhubarb on the diagonal and add them to a medium size bowl. toss the rhubarb with the cane sugar and a pinch of salt. let them sit in the sugar mixture for about 10 minutes. line them evenly on the parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes, until they are tender and slightly browned.
with the remaining rhubarb stalks, chop them up and add them to a small sauce pan. add in the maple syrup, vanilla & lemon juice. bring to a boil then down to a simmer for about 15 minutes. until the rhubarb is completely cooked and stewed down. set aside to cool.
to assemble:
add a layer of the stewed rhubarb to the top of the custard, place a couple of pieces of the roasted rhubarb then sprinkle with some extra white chocolate. serve!