Before we get into today’s dessert I’d like to thank Clement Design USA and Rocky Mountain Food Report for featuring me on their websites! Clement Design USA is my favorite chef coat company, and Rocky Mountain Food Report was present at my recent competition to cover the event! If you’d like to read their articles, click here for Clement Design and here for Rocky Mountain Food Report.
Fall is officially here and even though I will forever be a summer girl, it is nice to get some familiar fall flavors back into the mix. Flavors like fig, pomegranate, citrus fruits, apples, pears, and yes.. pumpkin. I’m excited to come up with some new and fun desserts incorporating these flavors!
I was fortunate enough to have a few fruit trees in my backyard in the house I grew up in. We had avocado, lemon, peach, and pomegranate. I remember cracking open a pomegranate and sucking out the juice from each seed, then spitting out the actual seed. I didn’t realize back then the seeds were edible too, I just loved that sour fruit flavor. I learned quickly that pomegranate juice will stain EVERYTHING it touches as well. The flavor of pomegranate has always been a favorite of mine. When I saw some in the store the other day I knew exactly how I’d like to incorporate it into this dish.
For those unfamiliar with crème fraiche, it is a French cream similar to sour cream. It’s mild in flavor and I thought it’d pair perfectly with the tang of pomegranate. After I made it and tried the two flavors together for the first time, I seriously could not put the dessert down. This is a good one to impress at a dinner party friends! And can be made and kept for several days in advance!
Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta
Yield 4 Ramekins
Cream 10 oz.
Gelatin powder 1 ½ tsp
Cold water 2 T
Sugar 2 oz.
Crème Fraiche 10 oz.
Pomegranate Syrup
Pomegranate Juice 16 oz.
Sugar 4 oz.
Lemon Juice 1 oz.
Pomegranate Seeds ½ cup (for garnish)
Directions:
Bloom the powdered gelatin in the cold water, set aside. In a medium sauce pot, heat cream and sugar together (do not boil).
In a separate bowl, weigh out the crème fraiche.
Once the cream is hot, add the bloomed gelatin and stir with a spatula until the gelatin has dissolved into the cream. Pour hot cream mixture over crème fraiche and whisk lightly to combine.
Once mixture is smooth, pour into ramekins or serving cups.
Chill for 2+ hours to let the mixture setup.
To make the pomegranate syrup, combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot and reduce. This will take 20-30 minutes. Whisk every 5 minutes.
Mixture is done when it is reduced to about ¾ – 1 cup. Be careful as to not over reduce as the syrup consistency will harden as it cools down.
Cool syrup completely at room temperature before adding to panna cotta.
Pour syrup over panna cotta and garnish with a few pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta
Creme fraiche panna cotta with a pomegranate syrup and fresh seeds!
Ingredients
Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta
- 10 oz cream
- 1 1/2 tsp gelatin powder
- 2 Tbsp. cold water
- 2 oz sugar
- 10 oz creme fraiche
Pomegranate Syrup
- 16 oz pomegranate juice
- 4 oz sugar
- 1 oz lemon juice
- pomegranate seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Bloom the powdered gelatin in the cold water, set aside. In a medium sauce pot, heat cream and sugar together (do not boil).
- In a separate bowl, weigh out the crème fraiche.
- Once the cream is hot, add the bloomed gelatin and stir with a spatula until the gelatin has dissolved into the cream. Pour hot cream mixture over crème fraiche and whisk lightly to combine.
- Once mixture is smooth, pour into ramekins or serving cups.
- Chill for 2+ hours to let the mixture setup.
- To make the pomegranate syrup, combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot and reduce. This will take 20-30 minutes. Whisk every 5 minutes.
- Mixture is done when it is reduced to about ¾ - 1 cup. Be careful as to not over reduce as the syrup consistency will harden as it cools down.
- Cool syrup completely at room temperature before adding to panna cotta.
- Pour syrup over panna cotta and garnish with a few pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy!
