Vegetarian Buttermilk Panna Cotta ベジタリアンバターミルクパナコタ

My wife was planning on serving “buttermilk panna cotta” for dessert the night we were having a Hanami celebration with our friends. Then she realized one of the guests was vegetarian so she could not use “gelatin” to make the panna cotta as she usually does. She remembered that in the past we had gotten agar-agar powder to use instead of gelatin for just such a situation. Luckily I was able to locate it quickly in the pantry. She then remembered, that the last time she used it the desert she made was a failure because it did not jell. So she went on the web to see how to use agar as a substitute for gelatin. She discovered that the agar failed the last time because she just treated it like it was gelatin.  From her web search, she discovered that agar is quite different. The quantity of agar can not be directly substituted for gelatin on a one-to-one basis; 1 teaspoon is agar powder typically replaces 1 tablespoon of gelatin. In general agar makes the panna cotta firmer with less melt-in-the-mouth feel than geletin so less agar must be used to make it creamier.  In addition, agar must be completely dissolved, rather than just “bloomed” in cold liquid before heating. Most importantly, it must be heated for considerably more time than gelatin to become activated. My wife found several recipes/instructions on the web and the resulting panna cotta was a complete success. If you were not told you could not tell the difference between the panna cotta made with agar and the one she usually makes with gelatin.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups light (or heavy) cream
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 + 1/8 tsp agar (it has to be completely dissolved in cold liquid)
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp vanilla extract 
A pinch of salt

Directions:
Hydrate the agar: In a medium saucepan, whisk the agar powder into the cold cream and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften. Heat and Activate: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it simmers, continue to boil gently for 1-2 minutes to ensure the agar is fully activated. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool slightly (to avoid curdling), then whisk in the vanilla and buttermilk.

This panna cotta was quite a success. There was a bit of a learning curve involved but it was worth it because vegetarian panna cotta is now a viable option for future vegetarian desserts. 

Mango Crumb Bars マンゴークラムバー

We regularly eat home-made yogurt with fruit as a part of breakfast. Among the fruit we use, our favorite is mango. Quality mango can be  “hit or miss” sometimes. Generally we buy unripe mangoes and let them ripen on the counter. When they are ripe enough we process them by peeling the skin, removing the fruit from the stone (this can be a bit tricky) and cutting the pieces into small cubes. We place these in a sealable container and add a small amount of orange liquor (triple sec). This makes the mango last much longer.  Among the different types of mango, we like green Florida mangos the best but we also like champagne mangos. Recently, we already had two processed regular mangos in the fridge but then,  because they were on sale at Whole Foods, we got 4 champagne mangos that were basically ripe and ready to be processed. As a result we had an excess of processed mango. We had more than we could possibly consume in morning yogurt before they went bad. So, my wife started looking for fresh mango recipes to use the excess supply. She found this recipe for  “mango crumb bars”.  Although the mango flavor is subtle, this is a very good snack/desert. I’ll ask my wife to continue as usual.

Ingredients: 
2 1/2 cups ripe mangoes (small chunks) 2-3 mangoes
3-5 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp corn starch
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut mangoes into small chunks. In a bowl, combine mango chunks, sugar (use more if mango is not ripened) and corn starch. Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut cold (important: make sure it is cold!) unsalted butter into chunks and add to flour mixture. Using a food processor, pulse until small crumbs are formed. In a separate bowl mix the brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Then add the egg mixture into the buttery dry mixture. Mix well - mixture should be slightly crumbly.
Add 2/3 of the crumbly mixture to the bottom of a 8" x 8" baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press the mixture onto the pan to form a layer of crumb pastry. Add the mango mixture, and spread it out evenly. Then sprinkle the top with the rest of the crumbles. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Then lift parchment paper and bring pastry out of the pan. Let it cool for another 15-20 minutes.

This is a very nice desert. It is not too sweet and the crunchy crumbs add a nice texture. The mango is subtle but definitely there. It adds a fresh fruity tasting moist layer to complement the surrounding crumbs. 

Chocolate Brownie Pudding チョコレートブラウニープディング

When my wife made “Lemon Sponge Pudding” using a recipe from Marsha Adams’ “Cooking from Quilt Country”, she spotted this recipe for “Chocolate Brownie Pudding”. It is made in the classic “Pennsylvania Dutch” style basically with a batter put on the bottom of a baking pan and the makings of a chocolate syrup poured over the top. Then as it bakes they reverse with a brownie like cake forming on top and a chocolate sauce forming on the bottom. She had never tasted it before so she decided to make it. This pudding is not particularly photogenic but the taste is really great, moist and very chocolaty. The recipe recommended to served this upside down so the brownie part is on the bottom and chocolate sauce/goo is on the top making it look somewhat like an amorphous dark mass (picture #1). The pecans added nice crunch in contrast to otherwise soft consistency.

After it was cooked, the top became a brownie and bottom was a chocolate sauce (picture #2).

Ingredients: 
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
I teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided (2 Tbs. used in batter, 4 Tbs. used in sauce) (I used King Arthur double dutch dark cocoa) 
1/2 cup milk 
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
I teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1½ cups boiling water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the cocoa into a large bowel Add the milk, butter, and vanilla; mix until smooth. Stir in the pecans transfer to an oiled 1-quart (10 x 6-inch) baking dish. 

In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar and the remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa. Sprinkle over the cop of the chocolate mixture. Pour the boiling water over all. Do not stir in. 

Bake 40 minutes or until the top appears to be firm. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting. 

This is without a doubt one of the best desserts ever. The brownie/sauce texture combination is extremely pleasing. The taste is a rich velvety chocolate. This one went really fast!