Dual Panna Cottas w/ Petit Pot: Lavender Mascarpone & Spiced Pear w/ Honeycomb Pieces
Earth Day usually brings to mind that catchy, singsong-y phrase: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Well, I have partnered with my friends over at Petit Pot to bring you a recipe that reuses their glass jars in a way that is perfect for springtime! These two different types of panna cotta are flavored with lavender and pears and topped with a crunchy homemade honeycomb candy that celebrates springtime AND Earth Day.
Petit Pot dessert jars are perfect for growing herbs, storing snacks, and of course, repurposing for new desserts such as this one. Go check out the Petit Pot website to purchase jar lids to begin reusing your Petit Pot jars in your daily life and be sure to give this recipe a try for your next get together with friends and family!
Spiced pear panna cotta recipe adapted from lovefoodies.com
Lavender mascarpone panna cotta recipe adapted from bellabistro.com
Homemade honeycomb recipe taken directly from bbcgoodfood.com
INGREDIENTS
SPICED PEAR PANNA COTTA
1.5 Bosc pears (enough to make 1 cup pear purée)
2 tbsp cold water (for pears)
1/2 package unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp cold water (for gelatin)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon (zest & juice)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Good pinch kosher salt
LAVENDER MASCARPONE PANNA COTTA
1/4 cup water
2 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp ground lavender flowers (or lavender extract)
4 oz mascarpone (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Good pinch of salt
HOMEMADE HONEYCOMB CANDY
Unsalted butter, for the tin
200g caster sugar
5 tbsp golden syrup, can also use corn syrup
2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
Begin by washing, peeling, coring, and chopping the pears into small pieces.
Zest and juice 1 lemon (keep zest set aside for later).
Heat the pears in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and the juice of 1 lemon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the fruit until it is tender, about 4-7 minutes, and then allow to cool slightly.
Using a blender or food processor, purée the pears until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the purée.
In the same pot you cooked the pears, combine the heavy cream, milk, pear purée, lemon zest, sugar, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon stick, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Heat to a simmer and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
Place remaining water in a small dish and sprinkle the gelatin over it and let bloom; mix with a fork until gelatin is dissolved and softened. *Do this last minute when the cream mixture is steeping.
Add the gelatin mixture to the hot mixture and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Next, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a spout. Use a baking tin or old pie pan and place a small-sized bowl or ramekin in the middle. Place empty Petit Pot jars all around, tilting them on their side.
Hold an empty Petit Pot jar horizontally and carefully pour the hot mixture. Gently place the jar on its side in your baking pan or pie pan and continue filling the other jars until you don't have any remaining mixture left. Place the pan in the fridge and allow to set for a minimum of 4 hours. (Photo attached of what this ends up looking like before placing in the fridge to set up.)
Pouring spiced pear panna cotta into jars and allowing to set on its side.
Instructions (Continued)
While the pear panna cottas set, make the honeycomb candy topping. Begin by buttering the base and sides of a 9x9 square pan and lining it with baking parchment.
Melt the sugar and golden syrup in a deep saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Be careful to not let the mixture bubble until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Once melted, turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until you have an amber-colored caramel (if you have a thermometer, the temperature should read 300 F/150 C). At this temperature/color, the mixture won’t get sticky when stored.
As quickly as you can, remove from heat, add baking soda, and beat with a wooden spoon until it is all absorbed and the mixture is foaming. Immediately scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and BE CAREFUL The mixture will be piping hot!
Leave to cool for 1-1.5 hours until the honeycomb is hard. It will continue bubbling in the tin as it cools. Break into chunks before using/storing.
Once the pear panna cottas have fully set, begin making the lavender panna cotta mixture. Ground the lavender flowers in a mortar and pestle until you have a powder-like consistency. In a small saucepan, add the cream, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and ground lavender flowers (or lavender extract if using). Bring to a low boil.
Pour water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over to bloom. Stir with a fork and set aside.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved and then mix in mascarpone until you have a consistent texture throughout. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a spout.
Pour mixture into Petit Pot jars with the set pear panna cotta (video below). Allow to set another 4 hours minimum.
Once lavender panna cotta has set, top with homemade honeycomb pieces and serve. Enjoy!
Pouring lavender mascarpone panna cotta into Petit Pot jars with pre-set spiced pear panna cotta mixture
