Strawberry Jelly with Vanilla Panna Cotta

Serves 6 Prep Time 2 hours   Cook Time 20 minutes   Rated: Print

Videos

Find out more

Crème fraîche panna cotta under a jewel of strawberry jelly. Pretty enough for Christmas, easy enough for a Tuesday.

Let's be honest: on Christmas Day nobody wants to be piping, torching or praying over a soufflé while the prawns go warm. What you want is a dessert you made two days ago that looks like you made it this morning. This is that dessert.

Crème fraîche does what plain cream can't. It gives the panna cotta a gentle tang that cuts through the richness, so it tastes clean and grown-up instead of cloying. Over the top goes a layer of bright strawberry jelly, glossy and red, with the fruit at its sweetest right when we need it most in December. Red and white, soft and set, cold and refreshing on a 38-degree day. It is about as Christmassy as a dessert gets without a sprig of holly in sight.

Don't save it for December, though. With strawberries in season and a tub of crème fraîche in the fridge, it's an easy win for birthdays, long lunches, Mother's Day, or any night that needs something a bit special. Make it in glasses, make it in a mould, make it the day before. It will wait for you.

Serving suggestions

For Christmas, set them in small glasses or coupes and top each with a halved strawberry, a few mint leaves and a dusting of icing sugar for a snowy finish. Pomegranate seeds work too if you want more sparkle.

For a crowd, set it in one large glass trifle bowl so the layers show, and let everyone dig in. Or set it in a ring mould, turn it out and pile fresh berries in the centre for a wreath-style centrepiece.

For texture, serve with something crisp: shortbread, almond biscotti, brandy snaps or a crumble of meringue. Toasted pistachios scattered over the top add colour and crunch.

For something boozy, splash a little Pimm's, rosé or Grand Marnier over sliced strawberries and spoon them alongside.

All year round, switch the fruit to suit the season. Raspberries, passionfruit, blood orange or rhubarb all work well against that tangy crème fraîche base.

 

Need

Do

1  

Panna Cotta

2  

Place sugar, yolks, vanilla, milk and cream into the mixing bowl and cook 8 min/80°C/speed 4.

3  

Place the gelatin into the warm water and stir to combine.

4  

Add gelatin mixture to the mixing bowl and blend 20 sec/speed 4.

5  

Divide between long stemmed glasses and refrigerate for several hours until set.

6  

Strawberry Jelly

7  

Do not prepare the jelly until the panna cotta is completely set.

8  

Make the jelly as per instructions, cool slightly before pouring on top of the panna cottas, using a spoon to 'diffuse' the stream of cooled jelly so you get a nice even set. You can add chopped strawberries into the jelly to set if you wish, or just serve them as a garnish.

9  

Set completely before serving.

Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of nine, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.

Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once! 

More Sweets

See all Sweets in Collection