Caramel panna cotta
SERVES 6
Preparation 30 minutes plus overnight chilling
Cooking 20 minutes
400ml milk
2½ tsp powdered gelatine
500ml double cream
100g icing sugar
2 tbsp white rum
1 tbsp dry Marsala
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
for the caramel syrup
140g caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 120ºC/Gas Mark ½. Warm a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin in the oven while making the syrup. For the syrup, heat the sugar in a small, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat. Do not stir until the sugar begins to melt around the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves into a smooth syrup that is nutty brown in colour. Quickly pour the syrup into the warm loaf tin and rotate the tin to coat the entire surface. The syrup will be very hot, so wear oven mitts when handling. Set the tin on a wire rack to cool. It will harden and crack.
For the panna cotta, pour 4 tbsp of the milk into a small bowl, sprinkle over the gelatine and set aside. The gelatine will become springy in texture. Scald the remaining milk in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine mixture. Stir until dissolved.
In another saucepan, combine the cream with the icing sugar, and warm over a medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the cream is very warm and the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the cream mixture into a large bowl and combine it with the gelatine mixture. Cool completely.
When the cream is cool, stir in the rum, Marsala and vanilla. Pour the mixture through a strainer into the caramel-lined tin. Refrigerate overnight until firm. Unmould, then slice and serve.
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