Vanilla Pannacotta and Shortbread with Fresh Strawberries.

This is my first time making both shortbread and pannacotta - both desserts quick and simple to make.  I was pleased with my shortbread, even hubby commented "I don't normally like shortbread, but these are lovely" and my boys enjoyed them too. I will be making shortbread again shortly, but maybe next time I will add a hint of vanilla. The pannacotta was not bad for my first attempt, it tasted nice and creamy, I maybe put a bit too much vanilla in, but I do plan to make it again, but with less vanilla - I might even try a different flavour next time, maybe chocolate.

For these two lovely desserts instead of using sugar, I used Canderel granules as you get the same sweetness that sugar gives, but with fewer calories.

Ingredients

Shortbread:

• 100g Canderel, plus extra for sprinkling.

• 300g plain flour, sifted.

• 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature.

• Pinch of salt.

Pannacotta:

• 600ml double cream

• 150ml milk

• 3 vanilla pods.

• 2 gelatin sheets.

• 60 Grams Canderel

• 3 strawberries

Method

Shortbread

Preheat the oven to 160C.

First I mix the butter and Canderel until pale and smooth. I then added the flour and pinch of salt and gently mixed, pushing the mixture together into a ball of dough.

I placed the dough onto baking parchment and gently rolled it out to about 2cm or use your preferred thickness, and I then scored the dough into squares using a knife. With the baking parchment, place onto a baking tray and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.  

Before placing in the preheated oven, sprinkle with a pinch of Canderel and then bake for 15-20 minutes, until pale golden-brown.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once cooled, gently snap your slab of shortbread along the lines you scored. 

Pannacotta

Add the milk and cream into a saucepan, and using Dr. Oetker's vanilla grinder, I added the vanilla bits in and then brought it to a boil.

Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the mixture thickens which takes approximately 20 minutes. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Add the gelatine and the Canderel and whisk until it is dissolved. 

Leave until chilled, before it almost starts to set, then pour your mixture into ramekins. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave until fully set.

To get the pannacotta out of the glass ramekin, I popped it into hot water to loosen it and then turned it onto the plate. (I left mine slightly too long in the hot water, and it started to melt - so be careful, as it doesn't need very long before it loosens, enabling the mold to come out). I then added to the plate the strawberries, and shortbread, and I poured some strawberry coulis.