Coconut & Lime Panna Cotta with Mango & Passionfruit served with lime shortbreads

 

If you like coconut you're going to love these individual Coconut panna cottas. I promise you they are so very simple to make.

If you've never been good with powdered gelatine then try using gelatine leaves as I have, you really can't go wrong.  

What a fabulous dinner party dessert they make. You can make them at least 2 days ahead. Just finish with freshly chopped mango, the flesh of  passion fruit and a little lime zest.  We had these after a curry, perfect dessert after all that spicy food.

This recipe will make 4 generous glass fulls.  I'd be tempted to double the recipe as someone is bound to want a second helping

Ingredients

a 400ml (approx 1pt) can of coconut milk

100g/ 6 level tbsp caster (fine) sugar

200ml/½pt single/thin cream

2 limes zested (keep the juice for something else)

2 tbsp Desicated Coconut

a 150g/ 5 tbsp pot of natural yoghurt

4 leaves of gelatine

1 ripe mango, cute into small cubes

The flesh or 2 large or 4 small ripe passionfruits (if in season) otherwise Fresh Pineapple

you will need 4 Martini glasses 

Method.

Put the coconut milk, cream, sugar and  in a saucepan over a low heat and gently bring to the boil, stirring occasionally

While that is heating place the gelatine sheets in a small bowl with cold water to soften up.  Should take around 5 minutes

Take the pan of the heat, now squeeze out the water from the gelatine leaves, discard it and place the the softened leaves into the coconut milk mixture and stir to dissolve it completely add the lime zest 

Leave to cool for around 25 minutes.

Strain through a sieve to remove the lime zest & desicated coconut into a large jug

Gently fold through the yoghurt until it's completely incorporated

Place the glasses on a tray, then pour the mix equally into each glass

Place in the fridge. If you're in a hurry whack them in the freezer for an hour and finish off in the fridge for another hour

These are best left to the next day but will be set within around 4 hours

When ready to serve, place a good dollop of mango in the middle of each glass, add a spoon or so of the passionfruit/pineapple and finish with a sprinkle of the lime zest.   

try serving with these lovely lime shortbreads

if you prefer to measure rather weigh your ingredients here's a handy conversion chart

1 tsp lime zest plus 1 tablespoon of juice (1 lime)

225gms unsalted butter softened plus a little extra for greasing the tray

225gms plain flour plus extra for rolling out. 

115 gms Cornflour   Sift the 2 flours together

55 gms of both icing sugar & caster sugar (110gms in total)

Set the oven to 180c 

Cream the butter & sugars together until light and fluffy

Add the flour lime zest & juice ... get your hands in the bowl and work everything together into a little rectangle. 

Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Lightly roll out to approx 5mm and cut into circles I used a 7cm plain cutter

Bake on buttered baking sheets for around 10 to 15 miuntes... they should be light gold in colour

Leave on the tray for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling tray.

Serve when completely cooled

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Banana, Coconut and Chocolate Tea Loaf

Banana, Coconut & Chocolate Tea loaf



Here's another great way to use up your over ripe bananas. Coconut, chocolate & bananas are such a great combination a bit like a really moist Bounty bar in cake form. You'll need to store this cake in the fridge as it's really moist. It also freezes very successfully. I tend to make two at a time placing one in the freezer for a later date.


You'll need to grease and line a 2lb loaf tin before you start and turn the oven on to 160c /325f/gas 3

If you prefer to measure rather than weigh your ingredients here's an Easy Conversion Chart

Ingredients,

7oz / 200g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
a little grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
5oz/150g soft margarine or soft butter
4 oz/100g caster sugar
2 over ripe bananas or approx 8oz/227g mashed
2 oz /50g dessicated coconut
6 oz/175 g milk chocolate bar, you could also use chocolate drops but I didn't have any in.
2 large eggs

Chop 4 oz/ 100g of the chocolate into chunks reserve the rest for melting to drizzle over the cake

Place the margarine/butter, sugar, flour, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and eggs into a mixing bowl and stir until all incorporated.

Stir in the coconut and the mashed bananas and chunks of chocolate. Do not overwork the batter.

Place into the prepared tin and bake for around 1hour 15 minutes but check after 1 hour of baking.
The cake should be coming away from the sides slightly, nicely browned and springy to the touch.

Leave to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes then turn out and remove the lining when cold.

Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the top.

Don't worry if the chocolate in the cake sinks to the bottom, mine always does but it doesn't detract from the actual flavour .

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.