Doreen’s Mango Panna Cotta

 

Doreen’s Mango Panna Cotta

One of the many good features of hosting book club is the leftovers!  Not only do I have many leftover bottles of wine, I also have several pieces of two kinds of chocolate cake, and Doreen’s Mango Panna Cotta, a simple but gorgeous dessert.  She thought it would go well with our Indian novel, and she was right.  It would go well with anything, in fact.  The first time she served it to us we clamoured for the recipe, so she sent it along, and now I’m distributing it to the world:

Here's the Mango pudding recipe:

Part 1:

1 cup sugar (Doreen means white sugar; I’d suggest jaggery)
4 tablespoons unflavoured gelatin powder
1 cup cold water
1 cup hot water

Part 2:

1 (14 oz) can mango pulp
2 cups heavy cream (35% or so)(or optionally 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup skim milk)
7 green cardamom pods husked and finely ground (my optional addition to Doreen’s recipe)
½ teaspoon rosewater (also my optional addition to Doreen’s recipe)
2 cups cold water

Instructions:

1.Dissolve  gelatin powder in 1 cup cold water

2. In a pot add sugar, hot water and the gelatin mix you have prepared previously

3. Bring to a boil then shut off the stove

I served this at night on the deck, under the stars.

4. Add the mango pulp into the pot, mix well

5. Add cream (or lower fat variation) into pot, mix well

6. Finally add 2 cups cold water into pot, mix well

7. Pour/ladle into pan or small containers (recipe makes lots) and chill at least 4 hours.

Can be served with condensed milk or other toppings such as fruit.

Doreen uses large square pans, and cuts the panna cotta into perfect squares.  I’d probably make only half of this recipe, and pour the mixture into beautiful little glasses, and decorate the set panna cotta with pretty little violas, or mint leaves.  Any way you serve it, it’s a gorgeous and luscious dessert.  Thanks Doreen for sharing!

A nice spot to serve delicious leftovers!

Have I mentioned that my book club always looks for food themes in the books we are discussing?  What foods have you ever paired with literature?  I’d love to see your ideas!