Elderflower and Strawberry Panna Cotta

Delicate set custard puds, bursting with the flavours of British summer

2 hours prep, 20 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the jelly:

100ml Elderflower Cordial

1 gelatine leaf

3 ripe strawberries

For the cream:

400ml double cream

150ml Elderflower Cordial

1tbsp lemon juice

50ml milk

½ tsp salt

50g caster sugar

3 gelatine leaves

Method

Start with the jelly. Chill ramekins in fridge. Soak a leaf of gelatine in cold water for a few minutes. Gently warm the elderflower cordial to approx 50C. In a microwave this should take 30 – 40 seconds. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine and dissolve in cordial. Divide between 4 ramekins.

Cut the strawberries into small pieces and divide between ramekins. Chill ramekins in fridge until the jelly has set. (This should take about an hour.) Meanwhile start on the cream. In a small saucepan gently heat the cream until it is barely simmering and then turn off the heat. Dissolve in the caster sugar and salt.

Soak the 3 leaves of gelatine in cold water for a few minutes. Meanwhile stir in the cordial, lemon juice and milk to the pan. Squeeze out the gelatine and stir it into the pan.

Allow the pan to cool until it barely feels warm. (The temperature of it needs to be somewhere between 15 and 35C.) Then gently pour onto the jelly in the ramekins. Chill in the fridge for a couple more hours. To release the panna cottas from the ramekins run a blunt knife around the edge of them. Quickly dip the base of the ramekin in some very hot water then turn out onto a plate. (You may need a blunt knife to nudge them away from the side of the ramekin when they are upside down to release the vacuum.)