Panna Cotta Cake with Macadamia Nut and Caramel

by:Lindsay, April 4th, 2011

 Loading ...

A delightful dessert with easy to make ahead components.  Thanks for the inspiration Gail.

Yield 4 Servings

Ingredients

Angel Food Cake

• 1/4 Cup Cake Flour, sifted
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 3 Egg Whites, room temp
• 1/8 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar (if necessary)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla

Panna Cotta

• 3/4 Cups Milk
• 2 Teaspoons Gelatin
• 2 1/4 Cups Cream
• 1/2 Vanilla Bean
• 4 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt

Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 Cup Cream
• 1/8 Teaspoon Vanilla
• Pinch Salt

Nancy’s Easiest Macadamia Nut Brittle

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Macadamia Nuts, roasted and salted
• 1 Teaspoon Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Method

Angel Food Cake

Butter and flour 4 -5 Ounce ramekins. Preheat the oven to 325°.

Combine the sifted cake flour with half of the sugar.

Whip the whites until they begin to get foamy. Add the sugar and whip to stiff peaks. If the mixture is not whipping, you may need to add the cream of tartar. Add the salt and vanilla. Fold the flour mixture into the egg white. Split the mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake for about 15  minutes, until golden on top. Remove from the oven and let cool upside down. Run a knife around the edge to unmold. Store in an airtight container.

Panna Cotta

Heat 1 cup of the cream with the vanilla bean (split and seeded), sugar and salt. Strain. Let cool completely.

Place the milk in a bowl that can fit over a water bath. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Let the gelatin bloom for 10 minutes. Melt the gelatin over a boiling water bath, stirring constantly. You need to melt it until it is no longer grainy, but do not heat it over 140° (just about too hot to touch).

Combine the melted gelatin milk, the strained cream mixture and the remaining cream. Stir together. Pour into 4 -5 ounce ramekins. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. The vanilla bean will settle to the bottom of the ramekin. I like the way it looks when it is unmolded and there is a black dotted top, if you would like the vanilla to be evenly dispersed throughout the custard, stir each ramekin after about 1 hour of refrigeration.

Caramel Sauce

Heat the milk over medium heat, just to get it hot.

In a tall sauce pot, melt the sugar with 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir the mixture over medium heat until it is a clear liquid. Remove the spoon and brush down the sides with a wet pastry brush. Let the sugar cook without stirring it until it becomes a deep golden brown.

Caramelized sugar is very hot, be careful. Whisk in the butter quickly (when you do this, the sugar mixture will bubble up about 4x, so make sure the pan is tall enough. If it does bubble over, do not touch the liquid.)

Whisk in the cream, vanilla and salt. Let cool.

Brittle

(When I was making this dessert, my friend helped by making the brittle. I was very surprised at how good it was, all cooked in the microwave.)

In  1 1/2 quart casserole dish, stir together the sugar and the corn syrup. Place in the microwave for 4 minutes.

Stir in the macadamia nuts. Microwave again for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light brown.Cooked sugar gets very hot, be very careful when working with it.

Add the butter and the vanilla. Return to the microwave for 1 more minute. Stir in the baking soda, stir until light and foamy. Spread the mixture onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cool, break apart and store in an airtight container.

Assembly

Serve the desserts by simply stacking the angel food cake on the panna cotta, spoon on a couple tablespoon caramel and top with chopped brittle. You can make the panna cotta with angel food and caramel hours before (hold in the refrigerator), just do not put the brittle on until you serve it.

You can unmold the panna cotta if you prefer. Run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta and shake the pudding out onto your hand. Carefully place on a plate and proceed with the stacking.