Posted on Wednesday, 8th December 2010 by Grace

Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly is the first dessert in a trio of Mini Desserts I plan on serving for my daughter, Liana’s New Year’s Eve party.  I intend to present this trifecta of desserts in a variety of mismatched shot glasses.  We are not planning a sit down dinner this year, rather an evening filled with guilty pleasures, mouth-watering hor d’oeuvres, dips and finger foods.

I promised myself the menu would only consist of simple desserts.  If they could be made ahead, even better! Preparations will be hectic enough, adding complicated desserts to the mix would be downright foolish!

I’ve learned to streamline things over the years.  Gone are the days of trying to overly impress my guests, leaving little time to enjoy the evening.  Now I try to keep things simple without compromising taste, texture and of course the visual (We do eat with our eyes first!).

Undeniably this dessert will become the Show Stopper on your Holiday Dessert Table.  The dazzling, dark red Pomegranate Jelly provides a striking contrast in colour to the milky, white Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta.

Your guests will not only enjoy the silky, delicate vanilla infused Coconut Panna Cotta but the burst of tartness in the Pomegranate Jelly will also refresh the palate.

In this case, less is more.  Simply garnish your dessert with a few seeds from a ripened pomegranate.  One bite into the rich, ruby seeds will have you savouring the sweet juice that pops in your mouth.

Sometimes simplicity is best and that is most certainly the case with this Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly layered dessert.

A dessert table wouldn’t be complete without a little chocolate.  Chocolate Salted-Caramel Mini Cupcakes will be making an appearance (I know they won’t last long!).  I think I may take this Iced Butter Cake recipe and transform this cake into petit fours with a layer of marzipan, glazed in white fondant and decorated with a single silver dragée.

Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly

• Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta
• Pomegranate Jelly

Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta

• 2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
• 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream, 35%
• 1 cup (250 ml) cream, 18%
• 1 cup caster (superfine granules) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
• 6 tablespoons cold water
• 2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin, about 4½ teaspoons

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk, creams, sugar and vanilla bean (split lengthwise, scrape seeds and add to the coconut mixture); stir to dissolve the sugar.  Bring just to the boil; then remove from heat, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small-sized bowl and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain (to remove vanilla bean) the very warm Panna Cotta mixture into a medium-sized bowl.
4. Add the gelatin to the Panna Cotta mixture and whisk until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
5. Pour the Panna Cotta into your serving glasses (leaving room for your layer of pomegranate jelly) and chill for at least 3 hours.

Pomegranate Jelly

• 1½ teaspoons unflavoured gelatin
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) boiling water
• 1 cup (250 ml) Pom pomegranate juice
• 1 teaspoon caster (superfine granules) sugar

1. In a small bowl, stir together the gelatin and boiling water until the gelatin has dissolved.
2. Stir together the pomegranate juice and sugar until combined.
3. Add the sweetened pomegranate juice to the gelatin and stir until well combined.

Assembling Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly

• Pomegranate Seeds

1. Remove Panna Cotta from refrigerator.  Make sure the Panna Cotta has set.
2. Pour a layer of pomegranate jelly over each Panna Cotta.
3. Return Pomegranate Jelly layered Panna Cotta to refrigerator to set, about 3 hours.
4. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Related posts:

1. Panna Cotta & Raspberry Jelly Parfait
2. Maple Crème Brûlée with Poached Forelle Pears
3. Chocolate Éclairs with Vanilla Bean Crème Pâtissière
4. Baked Grand Marnier and Raspberry, Vanilla Custard Cups
5. Chocolate-Hazelnut Self-Saucing Pudding

Tags: Baking Mise en Place, coconut, dessert, desserts, fruit, fruit desserts, individual dessert, individual desserts, Italian dessert, Italian desserts, layered desserts, panna cotta, parfait, pomegranate, pomegranate jelly, quick desserts
Posted in Baking Mise en Place, Custards, Creams & Mousses, Fillings, Frostings & Dessert Sauces, Recipes

Comments (16)

16 Responses to “Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly”

1. Says:
   December 8th, 2010 at 8:01 pm

   Looks sophisticated, gorgeous AND delicious!

2. Says:
   December 8th, 2010 at 8:26 pm

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Outdoors2, Grace Langlois. Grace Langlois said: New Blog Post – Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly #sweets #desserts #fbz [...]

3. Says:
   December 8th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

   They’re so perfect! Love the flavour combination too!

4. Says:
   December 9th, 2010 at 2:24 am

   Does the jelly need to cool before it’s poured onto the panna cotta? I imagine if it cools too much, it would set and thus not pour nicely. At the same time, if it’s just been boiling, will it heat the panna cotta too much?

   They look lovely, by the way. I’m excited to try out the recipe.

5. Says:
   December 9th, 2010 at 4:59 am

   Lovely to look at. I’m sure lovely to eat, too. It would be nice to have for Christmas.

6. Grace Says:
   December 9th, 2010 at 7:55 am

   Hi Ryan

   Ryan the jelly will be pretty cool because you need not heat up the juice. You are only boiling the little amount of water necessary to dissolve the gelatin. Once you add the cold juice the heat is pretty much gone. So go ahead and pour, just make sure the panna cotta has set first.

   Enjoy!

7. Says:
   December 9th, 2010 at 11:04 am

   Oh my these looks wonderful. I know the guests will love them.

8. Says:
   December 9th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

   These are simple? They look so elegant it’s hard to believe they’re also simple. I’ll take your word for it. Lucky Liana – she’s going to have a great New Year’s Eve party!

9. Says:
   December 9th, 2010 at 6:11 pm

   Gorgeous presentation!!!!

10. Says:
    December 10th, 2010 at 1:00 am

    Looks so awesome!

11. Says:
    December 10th, 2010 at 10:00 am

    I love the contrast in color — so sophisticated! And I’m all about making things in advance, too. As much as I love to cook and spend time in the kitchen, I also want to be hanging with my guests. Although, I have been known to put several of them to work with me in the kitchen. :-p I don’t think they mind.

12. Says:
    December 10th, 2010 at 11:08 am

    Stunning, stunning, stunning…. I can’t wait to makes these!!!!!!!

    
    ButterYum

13. Grace Says:
    December 10th, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    Stephanie I bet they don’t mind most people like to get involved.

14. Says:
    December 11th, 2010 at 7:11 am

    Gorgeous!!

15. Says:
    December 11th, 2010 at 4:52 pm

    This looks fantastic!

16. Cannoli Siciliani, Cannoli Filling, Cannoli Shells, Italian Pastry | La Mia Vita Dolce Says:
    December 12th, 2010 at 8:57 am

    [...] If you enjoy Italian Desserts as much as I do you must try one of my most favourite Italian treats, Cicerchiata (Italian Honey Balls).  They are puffed pastry balls dripping with honey.  And of course I can’t go without mentioning another traditional Italian Dessert, Panna Cotta; it is a family favourite and it can be paired with many different flavours.  A pairing perfect for the summer is Panna Cotta and Raspberry Jelly Parfait and for the Holiday Season, Vanilla-Coconut Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly. [...]

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