STRAWBERRY PANNACOTTA

With British strawberries in abundance at the moment, here is a summer dessert you can make ahead giving you time to relax in the sunshine.  I probably say this about most of the recipes I put on my blog, but I really do love Pannacotta.  My husband knows I will always pick it from a menu.  It's a simple dessert but it feels like eating velvet.  The strawberries only add to the luxury and it all helps with your 5 a day(!).  I've served mine with fresh strawberries which have been dressed with Womersley Foods Strawberry & Mint Dressing.  I've used Womersley dressings before, just the bottles are enough to make you want one but when you read the flavours it's difficult to know which to choose.  I get mine from Delifonseca in Liverpool but if you go to their website they have a list of stockists for you.  I find myself creating recipes around their flavours for sweet and savoury dishes.

200g Strawberries (hulled and choped) 30g Caster Sugar, 4 Gelatine Leaves, 500ml Whipping Cream

Soak the gelatine in water.  Blitz the strawberries and sugar in a processor until pureed.  Pour the puree into a small pan and bring to the boil.  Reduce the liquid by about 1/3 till it weighs 125g.  Pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds.  

Pour half the cream into the pan and bring to the boil, stir in the puree and remove from the heat.  Squeeze out the water from the gelatine and whisk into the strawberry and cream mixture, make sure the gelatine has dissolved.  Add the remaining cream and mix thoroughly.  

Pour into the moulds and refrigerate till set, about 4 hours.  Dip the moulds into boiling water to remove dessert and serve with fresh strawberries.