Chocolate Orange Panna cotta

Well, these can be simply described as YUM!! A very well turned out experiment! Easy to make and very impressive!

Makes 8 ramekins

Ingredients:

175g Caster Sugar
568ml Double Cream
200 ml Semi skimmed milk
2 oranges
4 sheets costa fine leaf gelatine
100g aprox 70% cocoa chocolate

1) Finely grate the zest of both oranges and reserve. Juice the oranges and place the gelatine leaves in the juice and soak for 5 minutes whilst you do step 2 & 3

2) Heat the cream, milk and sugar to boiling point, ensuring the sugar has fully melted

3) Gently melt the chocolate in a heavy pan or in a bain-marie

4) Rinse the moulds in cold water - do not dry!

5) Remove the milk mix from the heat and gently stir in the drained gelatine leaves with a wooden spoon, now constantly stirring slowly pour in the melted chocolate, then add 3/4 of the zest, pour into the moulds and allow to cool, sprinkle over the remaining zest and chill for a minimum of 4 hours.

Note: Whilst you need to distribute the melted chocolate evenly, do not overmix as if left to its own devices the chocolate creates little pockets of yum and give it a bit of texture.

My recipe is adapted from waitrose.com vanilla panna cotta recipe (which also happens to be rather scrumptcious!)