Creme fraiche panna cotta with cinnamon-poached pears and praline
Creamy creme fraiche panna cotta served with cinnamon-poached pears and a crunchy almond praline.
Ingredients
| 600 ml | pure (thin) cream | |
| 1 1/2 cups (330g) | caster sugar | |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | 7.5 ml | ground cinnamon |
| 3 | gold-strength gelatine leaves | |
| 200 ml | creme fraiche | |
| 3 | pears, peeled, halved, cored (stems intact) | |
| 1/2 | lemon | |
| 1/2 cup (125g) | brown sugar, firmly packed | |
| 1 | vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped | |
| 1 | cinnamon quill | |
| 1/3 cup (35g) | flaked almonds, lightly toasted |
Instructions
Step 1 Combine cream, 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar and ground cinnamon in a pan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stand for 10 minutes to infuse.
Step 2 Meanwhile, soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Squeeze out excess water. Stir gelatine into cream until dissolved. Cool slightly.
Step 3 Add creme fraiche to cream and whisk until smooth. Divide among six 150ml dariole moulds. Chill for 4 hours or until set.
Step 4 Rub pears with lemon. Place brown sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon quill and 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar in a pan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add pears, cover surface with baking paper and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove pears, increase heat to medium and cook liquid for a further 10-15 minutes until reduced and syrupy. Return pears to pan. Set aside to cool.
Step 5 For the praline, line a tray with baking paper. Place almonds in centre. Combine remaining 1/2 cup (110g) sugar and 1/4 cup (60ml) cold water in a pan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, for 5-7 minutes until golden. Pour over almonds. Set aside to cool. Crush into small pieces with a rolling pin.
Step 6 Dip moulds briefly in warm water to loosen. Carefully invert onto plates. Sprinkle with praline and serve with pears and their syrup.
Note: uses gold-strength gelatine leaves.