Vanilla Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Blood Orange Jelly

A simple dessert which requires no baking, only a few bowls and comes together in a flash

Winter signals the arrival of a very short and scarce blood orange season in South Africa, and I never pass up the chance to hunt them down and make something delicious. I just find the colour so inviting and luxurious and the fruit slightly less sweet than other oranges.

My go to place is Babylonstoren who farm their own blood oranges and the season usually runs from July to September, but I have yet to find them this year. I did manage to find them from a local deli in Cape Town and was very glad that I did.

With the electricity crises we are facing in South Africa at present, baking is sometimes risky as the electricity could go out at any time. Thankfully, these vanilla panna cotta with blood orange jellies are no bake, and require no beaters or electric equipment.

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS VANILLA YOGURT PANNA COTTA WITH BLOOD ORANGE JELLY

Why is my panna cotta/jelly too hard or soft? Different types of gelatin have different bloom strengths, which influence how firm they set. I personally prefer a softer set and this is what the recipe does. You should follow the instructions on your packet.

What happens if I cannot find blood oranges? If you cannot find blood oranges, navel or cara cara oranges work just as well. If using navel oranges, you may want to adjust the sugar depending on how sweet they are.

What happens if the panna cotta does not want to release from the mould? I dip it in hot (but not boiling water) for no more than 5 seconds, then give it a firm shake to release. It always works, though sometimes the panna cotta does melt a little, but that’s ok.

If you make this recipe, please share it with me by tagging me on Instagram @adventureswithsugar or on Facebook at Adventures with Sugar. Please also leave a comment below to let me know how you got on with the recipe.

FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE JELLY

• 250ml freshly squeezed, blood orange juice
• 1 teaspoons of powdered gelatine
• 12g caster sugar

METHOD

1. Place the blood orange juice in a saucepan and sprinkle over the powdered gelatin. Let it dissolve for two minutes.
2. On a low heat, mix the gelatine and the blood orange juice until the gelatine has completely dissolved.
3. Add the sugar and stir for another minute until dissolved.
4. Grease eight 150ml dariole moulds by lightly brushing it with oil.
5. Turn the heat off and pour evenly into your moulds. Place in the fridge to set for two hours before proceeding.

FOR THE VANILLA YOGHURT PANNA COTTA

• 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatine
• 500ml full cream milk
• 150ml whipping cream
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 380g full fat yogurt

METHOD

1. Add the gelatine to 50ml of cold water, stand the bowl in a pan of warm water until it dissolves. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Place the milk, whipping cream, sugar and vanilla bean into a pot and place on medium heat, until the sugar has dissolved and the vanilla infused.
3. Add the gelatine to the milk mixture and dissolve. Let the milk come to a tepid temperature.
4. Place the yogurt and the vanilla extract in a bowl. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the milk in and mix.
5. Place into the moulds, once the blood orange jelly has set, and let set for at least six hours.

Recipe by adventureswithsugar.com