Panna Cotta and Florentine cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

What a lovely challenge.  It worked out well too since i needed a nice little something to take to New Beginnings.

I made vanilla Panna Cotta with Blueberry Gelee.  I also made the Florentine cookies, but did not take them.  They really didn't turn out too well.  Probably because I just didn't have the time I needed to let them cool completely and let the pans cool completely before starting the next batch.  But they did taste great!

A few things I changed up a bit I added in red to the recipe below.

The recipes as I received them:

Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients 
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. I let it bloom for 30 min. I used this time to make the gelee.  Although, it wasn't as set as i wanted it to be, so keep that in mind.
2. Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage). Make sure it is completely dissolved
3. Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes. You can actually allow the flavor to "steep" in the milk in advance(24-48 hrs). Then you don't need to add it here.  Also, don't heat all of the cream.  reserve a 1/4 of the cream and lightly whip it to thicken and add to the warm mixture.  
4. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes (15 min) to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin. I put the gelee in the cups during this 15 minutes.
5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve. I added the blueberries on top when it was half set so they would sink in a bit.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups (480 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
½ cup (115 gm) (4 oz) sugar
¾ cup (145 gm)(5 oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, set aside for 2-5 minutes.
2. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a low boil.
3. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.
4. Transfer to ramekins, or nice glasses for serving.
5. Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight

Fruit Gelée

Recipe by Mallory

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mango, blackberry, etc.)
*Note: Certain fruits interact with gelatin and stop it gelling like pineapple and kiwi etc.
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

Directions:

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water.
2. Place fruit and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Now mix the gelatin into the strawberry mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool (close to room temp, again, if you're planning on layering on pouring on top of your Panna Cotta, a hot mixture will also heat up your chilled Panna Cotta).

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Recipe from the cookbook “Nestle Classic Recipes”, and their website.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.
2. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.
 
3. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
4. While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).
5. Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).
6. Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).

Garlic Cheese Dip

1 loaf sheepherders bread

¼ lb. butter                   

1 bunch green onions, chopped

12 cloves of garlic, minced finely

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

16 oz. sour cream                 

12 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated

1 can (10 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters (water pack not marinated) 

Cut a hole in the top of the bread loaf about 5 inches in diameter.  If you wish, make a zigzag pattern to be decorative.  Remove soft bread from cut portion and discard.  Reserve crust to make top for loaf.  Scoop out most of the soft inside portion of the loaf and save for other purposes, such as stuffing or dried breadcrumbs. 

In about 2 tablespoons butter, sauté green onions and half the garlic until onions wilt.  Do not burn!  Cut cream cheese into small chunks; add onions, garlic, sour cream and Cheddar cheese.  Mix well.  Fold in artichoke hearts. 

Put all of this mixture into hollowed out bread.  Place top on bread and wrap in a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Bake in 350-degree oven for 1^1/2 to 2 hours.  Slice French rolls thinly and butter with remaining butter and garlic.  Wrap in foil and bake with big loaf for the last 30 minutes.  When ready, remove foil and serve, using slices of French rolls to dip out sauce.

To lighten, use fat-free sour cream, reduced-fat cream cheese, and decrease butter by up to half.

Grilled Southwest Chicken with Cilantro Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts     

2 limes                                              

1 t chopped garlic                              

1 6-oz container plain yogurt

1 C sour cream

¼ C chopped fresh cilantro

½ t salt

½ t pepper 

1 C Pepper-Jack cheese

1 C salsa

Coat both sides of chicken breasts with juice of 1 lime.  Take the garlic and rub into both sides of the chicken breast.  Let the chicken stand for approximately 5 min. while you prepare the sauce.

Mix together the yogurt, sour cream, and cilantro.  Add the juice of the second lime.  Add the salt and pepper and mix well. 

Place the chicken in 1-gallon freezer bag.  Place the sauce in 1-quart freezer bag.  Shred cheese and put into a sandwich bag.  Bundle the bags together, label, and freeze.

To serve, thaw the contents of the bags.  Heat a grill and place the chicken on the grill and let cook 5-6 min on grill. Internal temp should be 162˚ (You can also bake the chicken in 375˚ oven for 50 min.)

Once chicken is ready, place ¼ C of shredded cheese on top of each chicken breast and let stand on open grill or in the oven for another minute, or until the cheese starts to melt.  Remove the chicken from the grill, or oven and place on plates and top with cilantro sauce and salsa.

To lighten, use fat-free sour cream and plain yogurt.  Reduce the amount of cheese and/or use reduced-fat cheese.

Chicken Dijon

3 T butter

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

2 T all-purpose flour

1 C broth

½ C half-and-half

2 T Dijon mustard

Cook chicken in butter over medium heat until cooked through and lightly browned, about 20 min.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside to cool.

Stir flour into drippings and cook for 1 min.  Add the broth and half-and-half.  Stir and cook until the sauce thickens and bubbles.  Stir in the mustard.  Cool the sauce.  Pour chicken and sauce into 1-gallon freezer bag and freeze.

To serve, thaw the chicken.  Place chicken and sauce in skillet, cover, and heat 10 min.  

Condensed Soup

1½ C chicken broth
½ t poultry seasoning
¼ t onion powder
¼ t garlic powder
⅛ t black pepper
¼ t salt
¼ t parsley
1½ C milk
¾ C flour

In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).

 In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Freeze in 1½ C portions

To lighten, use fat-free evaporated milk instead of milk.

Cranberry Pineapple Punch

48 oz. Cranberry Juice
48 oz. Pineapple juice
1/2 C sugar
2 t almond extract
2 liters ginger ale
1 C cranberries (optional)


Mix first four ingredients until sugar dissolved and chill.  Add ginger ale and fresh cranberries just before serving.  If short on time, mix all ingredients at once and serve.

Chicken Supreme

6 slices of bacon

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 10½-oz can cream of mushroom soup

½ C sour cream

Fry bacon until crisp and break into pieces.  Put the chicken and the bacon into a 1-gallon freezer bag.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour into freezer bag.  Lay flat to freeze.

To serve, thaw mixture.  Arrange in baking dish with as much sauce on top as possible.  Bake in a preheated 375˚ oven for 50 min.

To lighten, use fat-free sour cream, or strained fat-free plain yogurt.  You can also use the precooked bacon.