February Daring Bakers’ Challenge: Butterscotch and white chocolate panna cotta and Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

I was very excited when I read that this month challenge was going to be about one of my all times favorite desserts: panna cotta. I have a well tested panna cotta recipe but I am always happy to try new ones so I was totally in for this challenge.

I chose to make a butterscotch panna cotta, so I used the recipe that Mallory gave us adapted from Bon Appetit, using butterscotch chocolate chips. I also decided to keep the panna cotta simple and just topped it with white chocolate glaze to contrast two types of chocolate. I have to admit I was a little disappointed by the panna cotta I got. The taste was good but the consistency was not quite right. After letting it sit in the fridge overnight it was still too soft. It worked out well because I did not have to unmold it. But had I put it in ramekins and tried to unmold it, I think I would have made a disaster.

What I really enjoyed instead were the Florentine Cookies, which I also drizzled with white chocolate glaze to match the panna cotta. While I was making them, I was feeling unsure about their consistency and instead we loved them! This recipe is for sure a keeper. All in all, thus, I was very happy with this month challenge….and I sure needed this after last month disaster J

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Ingredients

240 ml (8 fl oz or 1 cup) whole milk

15 ml (1 tbsp) unflavored powdered gelatin

480 ml (16 fl oz or 2 cups) whipping cream

115 g (4 oz) sugar

145 g (5 oz or ¾ cup) butterscotch chocolate chips

2 ml (½ tsp) vanilla extract

Method

                  Pour the milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, and set aside for 2-5 minutes.

                   

                  Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in the cream, the sugar and the vanilla extract. Bring to a low boil.

                   

                  Add the chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.

                   

                  Pour into glasses, cover and let chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

White Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients

1 cup white chocolate (use good quality one!)

3 tbsp whipping cream

Method

Heat the whipping cream in a small pot or in the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

I used the glaze both as an additional thin layer on top of the panna cotta, as well as to drizzle the Florentine cookies.

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Ingredients

150 g (5.3 oz or 2/3 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups

160 g (5 2/3 oz) quick oats

230 g (8 oz) sugar

95 gr (3.38 oz or 2/3 cup) all purpose flour

60 ml (1/4 cup) dark corn syrup

60 ml (1/4 cup) whole milk

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract


pinch of salt


Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.

To the melted butter add the oats, the sugar, the flour, the corn syrup, the milk, the vanilla extract, and the salt. Mix well.

Drop a tablespoon full, three” apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.

Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. (I had to bake for longer than that)

Cool completely on the baking sheets and then drizzle the tops with the chocolate glaze.

Recipe from the cookbook “Nestle Classic Recipes”, and their website.

Have a sweet day!