Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Apple & Blackberry Jelly

Unlike classic panna cottas, which tend to use cream or milk, this recipe uses buttermilk. I love the slightly sour, acidic tang that it gives to the finished dish. This is a great dessert to serve after a rich meal and is easily paired with a variety of seasonal fruits at different times of the year. The recipe that I have given here includes a thin layer of blackberry and apple jelly, which is then topped with a few whole blackberries. You can experiment with different flavoured jellies… they are genuinely very easy to make and do finish off the dessert beautifully. I particularly like the lemon and stem ginger jelly that I sometimes make to top the panna cotta with!

Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid that is left over after churning butter from cream. Nowadays, modern dairy technologies mean that cream can be easily skimmed from whole milk but historically, the milk was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate – the cream was then used for making butter and the liquid left behind was the buttermilk.

Buttermilk is a key ingredient in traditional Irish soda bread where baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used as the leavening agent instead of yeast. The lactic acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide which make the bread rise when baked.

Buttermilk is readily available in shops and supermarkets in Ireland. But the variety that I prefer to use is made using traditional methods by Cuinneog. The company was set up by Tom and Sheila Butler in Balla, County Mayo in 1990 and in addition to buttermilk also produces butter.

Cuinneog has received many awards for its products over the past few years including Gold Great Taste Awards in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was also recognised for excellence in quality and traditional production method was awarded a Eirgrid Euro-toques food award in 2010.  

 

Ingredients:

Panna cotta:
3 sheets of leaf gelatine
400ml natural yogurt
150ml buttermilk
150ml crème fraîche
125g caster sugar
Apple & Blackberry Jelly:
2 sheets of leaf gelatine
150ml apple juice
150g blackberries
1 tablespoon of caster sugar

Method:

Panna cotta:
1.                  Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of water for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove from water, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
2.                  Put 100ml of the yoghurt in a small pan with the sugar and heat just enough to melt the sugar.
3.                  Warm the gelatine in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of water, until dissolved (do not let boil).
4.                  Pour the warm yoghurt onto the gelatine and mix well and then add in the rest of the yoghurt.
5.                  Pass this mixture through a fine sieve in to a medium bowl set over a large bowl full of ice. Whisk the mix gently as it cools, but do not let cool completely.
6.                 
Lightly whip the
Unlike classic panna cottas, which tend to use cream or milk, this recipe uses buttermilk. I love the slightly sour, acidic tang that it gives to the finished dish. This is a great dessert to serve after a rich meal and is easily paired with a variety of seasonal fruits at different times of the year. The recipe that I have given here includes a thin layer of blackberry and apple jelly, which is then topped with a few whole blackberries. You can experiment with different flavoured jellies… they are genuinely very easy to make and do finish off the dessert beautifully. I particularly like the lemon and stem ginger jelly that I sometimes make to top the panna cotta with!

Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid that is left over after churning butter from cream. Nowadays, modern dairy technologies mean that cream can be easily skimmed from whole milk but historically, the milk was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate – the cream was then used for making butter and the liquid left behind was the buttermilk.

Buttermilk is a key ingredient in traditional Irish soda bread where baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used as the leavening agent instead of yeast. The lactic acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide which make the bread rise when baked.

Buttermilk is readily available in shops and supermarkets in Ireland. But the variety that I prefer to use is made using traditional methods by Cuinneog. The company was set up by Tom and Sheila Butler in Balla, County Mayo in 1990 and in addition to buttermilk also produces butter.

Cuinneog has received many awards for its products over the past few years including Gold Great Taste Awards in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was also recognised for excellence in quality and traditional production method was awarded a Eirgrid Euro-toques food award in 2010.  

 

Ingredients:

Panna cotta:
3 sheets of leaf gelatine
400ml natural yogurt
150ml buttermilk
150ml crème fraîche
125g caster sugar
Apple & Blackberry Jelly:
2 sheets of leaf gelatine
150ml apple juice
150g blackberries
1 tablespoon of caster sugar

Method:

Panna cotta:
1.                  Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of water for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove from water, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
2.                  Put 100ml of the yoghurt in a small pan with the sugar and heat just enough to melt the sugar.
3.                  Warm the gelatine in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of water, until dissolved (do not let boil).
4.                  Pour the warm yoghurt onto the gelatine and mix well and then add in the rest of the yoghurt.
5.                  Pass this mixture through a fine sieve in to a medium bowl set over a large bowl full of ice. Whisk the mix gently as it cools, but do not let cool completely.
6.                  Lightly whip the crème fraîche and fold into the buttermilk and yoghurt mixture.
7.                  Pour into individual glass serving bowls and place in fridge to set.
Apple & Blackberry Jelly:
1.                  Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of water for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove from water, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
2.                  Put the rest of the ingredients for the jelly into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the blackberries are softened, about 10 minutes. Crush the blackberries and pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Allow cool slightly and then mix in the gelatine, whisking to distribute and ensure that it is properly mixed. Pass through a sieve again and allow cool. Before it sets, pour a thin layer onto each of the pannacottas and return to fridge to finish setting.
3.                  Serve with a few blackberries, placed on the top of each individual panna cotta.

Serves 4
 and fold into the buttermilk and crème fraîche.
7.                  Pour into individual glass serving bowls and place in fridge to set.
Apple & Blackberry Jelly:
1.                  Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of water for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove from water, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
2.                  Put the rest of the ingredients for the jelly into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the blackberries are softened, about 10 minutes. Crush the blackberries and pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Allow cool slightly and then mix in the gelatine, whisking to distribute and ensure that it is properly mixed. Pass through a sieve again and allow cool. Before it sets, pour a thin layer onto each of the pannacottas and return to fridge to finish setting.
3.                  Serve with a few blackberries, placed on the top of each individual panna cotta.

Serves 4

Apple and Almond Cake



Home-grown apples are abundant at this time of year and can be used in so many ways in both sweet and savoury dishes.

This cake is nicest served warm (not hot) from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream. It stands up as a cake in its own right, but is also lovely served as a dessert and is particularly delicious eaten with custard.


The apple and almond combination is lovely. I can’t remember where I first stumbled across this recipe, but it’s one that I bake again and again because it is so reliable, incredibly easy to make, but most importantly it is SO tasty! 

 

Ingredients:

225g self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp almond extract
150g butter, melted
250g cooking apples, peeled and cored
25g flaked almonds

Method:

1.                  Preheat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Lightly grease a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
2.                  Measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, almond extract and melted butter into a bowl. Mix well until blended, then beat for a minute.
3.                  Spread half this mixture in the prepared tin. Thickly slice the apples and lay on top of the mixture in the tin, piling mostly towards the centre. Using 2 dessert spoons, roughly spoon the remaining mixture over the apples. This is an awkward thing to do, but just make sure that the mixture covers the centre well as it will spread out in the oven.
4.                  Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
5.                  Bake in the preheated oven for 1¼-1½ hours until golden and coming away from the sides of the tin.

Serves 8.

Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash, Chanterelles and Bellingham Blue Cheese

I love risottos!

When made with care and attention, using quality ingredients, they are so comforting to eat and so so tasty.

The recipe that I give here is a true celebration of Autumn ingredients and also showcases the wonderful Bellingham Blue Cheese which is made by Peter and Anita Thomas at Glydefarm in Castlebellingham, County Louth.

The cheese which is made from unpasteurized cow's milk is firm in texture but crumbly and grainy on the tongue. It has a strong flavour with a pleasing salty finish. All the milk used to make the cheese comes from Peter and Anita's herd of Fresian cows using raw milk.

Bellingham Blue has won a number of prestigious awards including a Gold Medal at the British Cheese Awards in 2001 and a Silver Medal at the World Cheese Awards in 2008. In 2010, it won the Supreme Champion at the Irish Cheese Awards.

Bellingham Blue is wonderful used in cooking as it imparts a sophisticated flavour, whilst retaining the inherent characteristics of the cheese, without overpowering other flavours.

I crumble small nuggets of the cheese over this risotto just before serving and I love the way it begins to melt into the hot rice, but still retains some bite.

The chanterelles add a lovely earthiness to the risotto and are delicious with the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash, but feel free to use other varieties of mushroom. I particularly like girolles.
  

Ingredients:

3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
250g butternut squash, diced
Sprig of thyme
350g carnaroli or other risotto rice
250ml dry white wine
750ml hot vegetable stock
25g butter
4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
100g small chanterelles, cleaned
100g Bellingham Blue Cheese, crumbled
1 shallot sliced into thin rings
A handful of sage leaves
Salt and pepper to season
 

Method:

1.                  Pre-heat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/gas 6.
2.                  Put the diced butternut squash into an ovenproof dish and drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sprig of thyme and season well. Place in the pre-heated oven and allow to roast while you make the risotto.
3.                  Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan. Add the diced shallot and cook over a moderate heat. After about 5 minutes, add the rice and stir, ensuring that each grain of rice is coated in the oil.
4.                  Add the white wine and allow evaporate. Then add the stock a ladleful at a time, adding more as it become absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring all the time. It will take about 15minutes for the rice to be sufficiently cooked. You may not need to add all the stock… essentially you want the rice to have slight bite in it but not be undercooked. The risotto should have a gloopy consistency and should not be dry.
5.                  Take the risotto off the heat and add in the butter and grated parmesan and season well. Mix well to incorporate.  
6.                  Meanwhile heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium sized frying pan. When hot add the chanterelles and sauté quickly. Add the shallot rings and sage and allow cook until they are crispy, about a further minute. Remove from heat and drain on kitchen paper.
7.                  Take the roasted butternut squash out of the oven. Mix the chanterelles, roasted butternut squash and blue cheese into the risotto. Spoon into serving bowls and top with the crispy shallot rings and a few crispy sage leaves.

Serves 4.

Cherry Clafoutis

This is a classic French pudding and one that really celebrates the taste of the fruit that is used. I have used cherries here, which is what are used in the classic version, but I regularly make it with peeled, ripe pears during Autumn.

 

Other fruits, such as blackberries, blueberries, apricots and plums can be used in place of the cherries. Although this pudding can be served hot, it is so much nicer allowed to cool slightly and eaten at room temperature. Essentially it consists of fruit set in a sweet Yorkshire pudding type batter. Some versions use ground almonds, but I prefer to leave them out as they lend a grainier texture to the finished dish.

I might as well confess that I hate stoning cherries, but it really is worthwhile to do so, because you can then enjoy the full taste of the pudding without being interrupted every couple of mouthfuls to fish out the stones. A special cherry stoning implement can be purchased, relatively inexpensively to make this task easier.

 

Finally feel free to serve with some softly whipped cream.

 

Ingredients:

350g of stoned cherries

80g caster sugar, plus a couple of extra tablespoons to dust the dish

2 large eggs

90g plain flour, sieved

30g butter melted

150ml milk

½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste

2-3 tblsp of icing sugar

 

Method:

1.      Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.

2.      Grease a 20cm, round, shallow oven-proof dish with some butter and then sprinkle over a couple of tablespoons of the sugar.

3.      Place the cherries in buttered dish.

4.      Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract/paste together with a large balloon whisk. Once incorporated, whisk in the flour. Add in the melted butter and milk and stir until fully mixed into the batter.

5.      Pour the batter over the cherries and place in the pre-heated oven for approximately 35 minutes and the pudding has puffed up and is a lovely golden colour.

6.      Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

7.      Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

 

Serves 4.

Mini Raspberry Queen of Puddings

Sometimes only and old-style pudding will do.

I love Queen of Puddings!

 

It's sweet and gooey and comforting to eat. It's one of those desserts that can be eaten in Summer or in Winter.

This pudding uses stale breadcrumbs, which are set in a custard which is then baked in the oven until just set... It is then topped with raspberry jam and a meringue made using the egg whites that are left over from making the baked breadcrumb custard. I love recipes that don't leave you with any extra egg whites/yolks and this is one of those recipes.

A very similar pudding, the Monmouth Pudding, was first served in the 17^th Century, and an identical pudding, the Manchester Pudding, was popular in the 19^th Century.  It is said that the pudding was re-named Queen of Puddings when Queen Victoria visited Manchester, tasted the pudding and loved it. The Chef responsible for making the dish decided to re-name it in honour of her.

 

I have used raspberry jam... because it is my favourite, but feel free to ring the changes and use other types of jam or even stewed seasonal fruit. Stewed apples work really well... and sometimes I even use apple sauce from a jar, left-over from when I cook a roast pork dinner. Basically just try experimenting.

 

I have served the puddings in individual bowls, but you can make one large pudding...I have given the timings for both versions!

Ingredients:

225ml milk
225ml double cream
1tsp vanilla paste
225g caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
140g fresh breadcrumbs
Zest of a lemon
200g raspberry jam 

Method:

1.      Preheat oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3.
2.      Pour the milk and cream into a pan and add the vanilla paste.
3.      Bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat and set aside.
4.      Whisk half the sugar and the egg yolks in a bowl until light and creamy. Slowly pour the hot milk and cream onto the egg yolk and caster sugar mixture, whisking all the time.
5.      Add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest and allow soak for 10 minutes.
6.      Place six ovenproof ramekins or glasses into a roasting tin. Divide the breadcrumb mixture evenly between the six dishes. If you want to make one larger pudding, use a flattish 1.4 litre oval Pyrex dish and increase the cooking time to 25-30 minutes. Pour boiling water into the tin until it comes halfway up the side of the ramekins/glasses or the Pyrex dish.
7.      Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the puddings are almost set but still a little wobbly in the centre. Remove and cool.
8.      Turn oven up to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry and grease-free bowl and whisk to form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar until you get a thick, glossy meringue, then spoon into a piping bag. 
9.       Heat the raspberry jam with one tablespoon of water until easier to spread. You do not need to boil it. Spread a little jam onto each of the puddings and then pipe the meringue onto the puddings and bake for 6-8 minutes until crisp and lightly browned. If doing a single, larger pudding, increase time to 15-20 minutes.

10.  The puddings can be eaten immediately, but I think they are nicer if allowed to cool slightly or if they are eaten at room temperature.

 

Serves 6.