Best Panna Cotta With Grand Marnier Caramel Sauce Bruleed Figs Recipes

PANNA COTTA WITH GRAND MARNIER CARAMEL SAUCE & BRULEED FIGS RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water, and set aside. Place 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water, and let soften for 10 minutes. Place heavy cream and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin and sugar are completely dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to 1-quart measuring cup. Place measuring cup in the ice bath, and whisk cream mixture until cool, 6 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla extract; add Grand Marnier, if desired. Pour mixture into six 6-ounce ramekins or glasses. Chill until set, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. For the caramel sauce (note: this sauce doesn't have heavy cream of butter, because this is more of a thin flan style caramel sauce: Note: Be sure to have all of your ingredients ready before First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the water and the alcohol (if using) next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. In a heavy skillet, and place over medium-high heat, spread the sugar evenly. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. The sugar should turn to a dark amber--about 2 to 3 minutes. Very carefully, stir in 1/2 cup warm water (I used 1/4 cup water and 3 Tbsp. of Grand Marnier) and bourbon. It will bubble, but don't panic! Stir until combined, and remove from heat to cool to room temperature. Bruleed figs: Cut the figs in half lengthwise. Lay them skin-side down on a flameproof surface, such as a cookie sheet. Find a safe place to use your torch. Put a good mound of sugar on the cut surface of each fig, completely covering it. Use more than you think you would need because the blowtorch will blow some of it off. Turn on your torch and, working quickly, move back and forth over each fig turning the sugar into a melting dark brown syrup which will rapidly turn to "glass" when you remove the torch. You will want to experiment a bit to find the optimal distance to hold the flame. Remember that hot caramel will give you a nasty burn, so transfer them carefully to serving plates, and drizzle on some excellent balsamic vinegar. Assembly: To unmold panna cotta, dip ramekins in warm water. Run a paring knife around edges of panna cotta to break seal, and invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate. Dessert will slowly slide out. Garnish with figs and caramel. Serve. You can keep panna cotta, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to three days. It should be eaten quite cold; remove it from the refrigerator just before serving. At times of the year when figs are out of season, drizzle the custard with chocolate sauce, or top it with fresh berries.

PANNA COTTA WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine sugar and 1 cup of half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until combined. Add remaining half-and-half, heavy cream, and vanilla and cook for 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together hot water and gelatin, whisking until gelatin dissolves. Whisk gelatin mixture into half-and-half mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Remove from the heat and pour into ramekins or cupcake tins and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.
• Remove panna cotta from refrigerator. Dip the bottoms of the ramekins or cupcake tin into a warm water bath for about 15 seconds. Turn out the panna cotta forms onto serving plates. Top with Orange Caramel Sauce and let run down sides. Serve while sauce is still warm.
• Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the orange juice and star anise and simmer until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and remove from heat.

CARAMEL SAUCE WITH GRAND MARNIER, FLAN STYLE RECIPE - (3.8/5)

Steps:

• Equipment needed: Heavy skillet or a thick bottomed pan Whisk NOTE: Be sure to have all of your ingredients ready before First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the water and the alcohol (if using) next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. In a heavy skillet, and place over medium-high heat, spread the sugar evenly. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. The sugar should turn to a dark amber--about 2-3 minutes. Very carefully, stir in 1/2 cup warm water (I used 1/4 cup water and 3 Tbsp. of Grand Marnier) and bourbon. It will bubble, but don't panic! Stir until combined, and remove from heat to cool to room temperature. The sauce will be a very thin consistency. This is perfect for serving with a panna cota. If you refrigerate this sauce, it will thicken and is perfect for flavoring a vanilla butter cream or looks very pretty drizzled over a piece of cheesecake, ice cream or frosted cupcakes.