Chamomile honey and crème fraîche panna cotta

Chamomile honey and crème fraîche panna cotta

Today’s Miss Yoga inspired recipe of Chamomile, honey and crème fraîche panna cotta with thyme and lemon sablé is brought to us by inlove_withcake

The panna cotta is one of the perfect summertime dessert, because it is easy to make and it has a light, fresh and silky consistency that everybody loves!

This panna cotta is so special, because I’ve used the sublime and delightful Miss Yoga chamomile tea to infuse the cream. To enhance the delicate and floral notes of the chamomile flowers, I’ve added vanilla bean and honey to the mixture. I’m a beekeeper and with my family we produce every summer a pure raw wildflower honey, which has the most natural and sweet taste that can only be found in the beautiful mountains in Switzerland.

I’ve stirred a little bit of crème fraîche into the mix for a rich, mildly tangy taste and for a very creamy texture, that are countered by the crunchy, buttery thyme and lemon sablé biscuits.

Have a nice and bright summer and I really hope you enjoy the recipe!

INGREDIENTS: 

Makes 6 panna cottas

Thyme and lemon sablé biscuits
  • 125g semi whole-meal flour (type 2 flour with low-protein content)
  • 75g butter, cold
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 15g almond flour
  • a pinch of salt
  • 3g finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • zest of half a lemon
  • 30g eggs
Chamomile, honey and crème fraîche panna cotta
  • 250g heavy cream (35% milk fat content)
  • 2 x Miss Yoga – Chamomile tea bags
  • 250g crème fraîche (35% milk fat content)
  • ½ Bourbon vanilla bean
  • 80g wildflower honey
  • 5g gelatin sheets (gold strenght)
  • 25g cold water, to soak the gelatin sheets

Decoration

  • wild pansy and thyme flowers

Chamomile honey and crème fraîche panna cotta

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Thyme and lemon sablé biscuits
  1. Put flour, cubes of butter, icing sugar, almond flour, salt, thyme and lemon into a food processor or the bowl of your freestanding mixer with paddle attachment. Work until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Add the eggs and work until the dough comes together. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for a night.
  3. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a baking sheet with perforated silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3-4mm. Cut the dough using a 7cm round cookie cutter and place them on prepared baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cover the sablé biscuits with another perforated silicone baking mat or parchment paper and another baking sheet. This method will assure flat and beautiful golden colour sablé biscuits. Bake for 15-17 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Chamomile, honey and crème fraîche panna cotta
  1. The previous day, open the chamomile tea bags and put the contents into a bowl. Heat the heavy cream without boiling and just until is lukewarm and pour over the tea. Cover the bowl with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
  2. The nex day, soak the gelatin sheets in the cold water for 10 minutes. Strain the infused mix through a cotton filter and press to extract as much cream as possible. Some cream will have been absorbed into the solids, so weigh it again and add enough heavy cream just to regain 250 grams.
  3. Add honey and the seeds of the vanilla bean to the crème fraîche. Heat it on microwave just until is lukewarm (almost 40°C).Add the drained gelatin sheets and stir with a spatula to dissolve it.
  4. Add the crème fraîche to the chamomile cream and stir with the spatula.
  5. Pour the smooth mix into a six 7cm diameter x 4cm height charlotte silicone moulds and chill in the fridge for 1h, then refrigerate for a night.
Assembly
  1. Unmould the panna cottas and place on top of the sablé biscuits. Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours to defrost them.
  2. Decorate with fresh pansy and fresh thyme flowers, serve and enjoy!
Notes

I prefer cold infusion method rather than hot infusion method because is more delicately and the mix gains a sweet, delicious flavour. Indeed, with the hot infusion method (I mean over the 60°C) the bitter components of the solid ingredients are pulled out faster as well. Cold infusion method needs more time to let the flavours to release, but once tried, you will never go back!

For the thyme and lemon sablé biscuits I’ve used a semi whole-meal flour. Hear in the italian part of Switzerland, this flour is called “type 2”. Unlike white “00” and “0” flour, this type is less refined because it contains a greater quantity of bran and wheat germ which are full of fibres, mineral salts and vitamins.

To get a biscuits with crispy and crumbly texture, you want a flour with very little protein contents. Generally, you should use a flour with 9% of protein content (a cake flour is perfect).

Once you’ve taken the biscuits out of the oven, I suggest you to sprinkle them with some cocoa butter powder, in order to “waterproof” them and to avoid that they get moist in touch with the panna cotta. Alternatively, you can coat the surface of the biscuits with melted white chocolate.

Chamomile honey and crème fraîche panna cotta article written by and all photos are copyright of inlove_withcake

LOOKING TO RE-CREATE THIS AMAZING RECIPE AT HOME?

Why not head over to our store and pick up some Miss Yoga Chamomile herbal tea today!

Connect to your INNER ZEN and unwind with this relaxing blend of heavenly chamomile and blissful lavender. Backbreaking yoga position not required.

WHAT’S IN IT ?

Chamomile (94%), Lavender, Red Cornflowers.

Caffeine Free.