Almost midday through December I can definitely say that it is going to be a busy month! I’ve been trying hard to get myself organised but I supposed that I will just have to make do with my limited time. This will explain why I couldn’t post an entry for last week competition. It has been so crazy over here that it not even funny. But on the bright side I am glad that my parents have safely arrived in Melbourne to spend Christmas with us. They made the 26hrs of travelling from Poland to England (to spend a few days with my brothers and their family) before flying to Dubai and eventually make it to Melbourne, tired but happy. The more so they’ve got to escape winter and the cold weather for some really scorching hot days.
Leading up to their arrival I’ve been busy cleaning up in and around the house to get everything ready for their arrival. I was also lucky to attend the Cake, Bake, and Sweets Show at the Conference Centre in Melbourne. For the occasion I got to meet with some cook I currently follow on social media. Generally I’m not impressed by celebrities or so I thought. But I felt like a little girl when I met with a particular chef whom I’ve been showcasing some of her recipes in the cook with us competition. I was so impressed that I actually forgot to ask for an autograph! Silly me… Whilst it was an interesting event, where I got to discover new tools and new techniques, everything I wanted to buy was just so expensive.
I got a fantastic vegetable peeler. I’m so impressed with what I can do with it, especially zucchini noodles. It is so sharp and light and sharp! Yes I know I’ve repeated myself but it was to stress on the fact that I’ve cut my finger a couple of times already! I also managed to get some proper freeze dried raspberries and strawberries. I’ve been willing to put my hand on some but didn’t know where to buy them. My only other option was online shopping but I was not entirely convinced by the quality of the product. But I’ll definitely get more in the future and online. There was this company showcasing their dried free products and they sell them online too. Over the last few months I’ve come across so many recipes that have some elements of freeze dried fruits in it. However, I’ve never had a chance to make them as I didn’t have all of the required ingredients.
So for this week’s challenge I was glad to be able to finally create something using the freeze dried raspberries and strawberries. The recipe is from my favourite cook Donna Hay. She have this amazing panna cotta bars recipe. I chose this particular recipe as I thought it went well with this week’s theme: Secret Santa. Since I’ve started food blogging on Steemit, I’ve created an unofficial following from non-Steemit members who are regularly appraise of my latest recipe, blog and pictures. These special people are my husband’s work colleague. Unbeknown to me, my husband has been advertising my ‘work” to his colleagues. And much to my surprise last Sunday, at his work Christmas party, I had a lot of demand for food. I was a bit surprised at first but then realise what has been happening over the last 40 weeks or so.
So to thank my unofficial fans I’ve decided to make them some Raspberry and Coconut Panna Cotta bars. Hopefully they’ll enjoy it when they get them tomorrow morning. Hopefully, with the warm weather, it would be a refreshing start to their day. In as long as my husband carry the panna cotta bars straight to the office and don’t keep them out of the fridge for too long.
I hope you enjoy it.
Bon appétit!
And good luck to everyone
INGREDIENTS
- 750G Frozen Raspberries
- ½ Cup Maple Syrup
- ¼ Cup Black Chia Seeds
- ¼ Cup Coconut Oil
- ¼ Cup Freeze-Dried Raspberries+, Crushed
COCONUT CACAO BASE
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1 Cup Desiccated Coconut
- 1 Cup Almond Meal
- ⅓ Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
- 10 Fresh Dates (200G), Pitted
- ¼ Cup Raw Cacao Powder
COCONUT PANNA COTTA
- ¼ Cup Water
- 1½ Teaspoons Powdered Gelatine
- 1¼ Cups Coconut Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
METHOD
- Place the raspberries and maple syrup in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–18 minutes or until softened and liquid has reduced. Remove from the heat and add the chia seeds and coconut oil. Stir to combine and set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). To make the coconut cacao base, place the oats, coconut, almond meal, coconut oil, dates and cacao in a food processor and process for 2–3 minutes or until the mixture comes together.
- Press the mixture into a lightly greased 20cm x 30cm slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper, smoothing the top with a spoon. Cook for 20 minutes or until firm. Set aside to cool slightly. Pour the raspberry chia jam over the cacao base, smoothing with a palette knife. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until completely cooled and firm.
- To make the coconut panna cotta, place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine has been absorbed. Place the coconut milk and honey in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to just below the boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatine mixture until dissolved. Strain and set aside to cool completely.
- Pour the panna cotta mixture over the slice and refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely set. Cut into bars. Top with freeze-dried raspberries to serve.
