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White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

April 25, 2016 by Kayley 9 Comments

*This White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb is vegan and free of dairy & refined sugars.

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

When it comes to rhubarb, my town is completely unaware of it’s existence, apparently. Well, at least the grocery stores are. Every year it’s the same. Spring time hits and I keep my eyes peeled for those long, dark pink stalks each time I go shopping. I expand my circle of stores in hopes of finding it at a market that I don’t normally frequent.

Every year the result is the same:

Dissapointment.

Last year we had a natural market open up and it’s become my favorite place to shop. There I was, popping in for a bag of turbinado sugar on Saturday, when I made the fateful decision to give the produce section a quick scan. Beautiful red beets, golden beets the color of sunshine, rainbow carrots with grass green tops, crisp watermelon radishes, knoby knarled hands of Buddha, vibrant fushia stalks of rhubarb…….wait, what?

Rhubarb. The elusive vegetable was suddenly right in front of my face and I wasn’t even looking for it.

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

I guess miracles do happen.

Also, maybe I should consider just planting some rhubarb plants in my garden. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with the yearly hunt.

Anyway, I bought as much as I felt I could get away with (I hate to take all of something so special, in case someone else is in the same boat as I am) and started plotting all the ways I could use it.

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

I knew for sure that I wanted to stew some of it in a syrup. Rhubarb imparts the most beautiful pink shade to the liquid it’s simmered in. And what better canvas for a pretty pink syrup than a simple panna cotta?

I wanted to try making a vegan panna cotta this time, since I’ve made my share of conventional ones. In place of gelatin I used agar agar, which is an algae-based thickening agent. Clear and powdered, it firms up liquids and is much more powerful than gelatin. You need much less agar agar to have the same effect as you would with gelatin.

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

 

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

I wanted to use cacao butter for a nice white chocolate flavor instead of using white chocolate which is full of additives and sugar. I used 1 teaspoon of agar agar, which, when melted with the cacao butter, kept everything emulsified and resulted in a firm, white chocolate flavored panna cotta.

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

You can serve the panna cotta in jars topped with the rhubarb and syrup, or you can chill them in molds and serve them unmolded with the syrup on top or around the side. I actually preferred them unmolded, because the texture was firmer than a traditional panna cotta and it was fun to slice away at the perfect dome of gelled white chocolate with a spoon.

*do note that this panna cotta will not have the same texture as a gelatin-based panna cotta. Agar agar has a different texture and makes this panna cotta firmer than a gelatin would. If you want to replace the agar agar with gelatin you will need about 1 1/2 teaspoons of it. Because agar agar sets so quickly it helps to keep the cocoa butter emulsified – if you replace it with gelatin you may end up with the cocoa butter separating and floating to the top of the panna cottas before they are set.

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

For those wanting a tutorial on how to make the rhubarb rosettes, I will get a video up shortly demonstrating how to make them.

More Panna Cotta?

Meyer Lemon Coconut Panna Cotta with Raspberries

Mixed Berry Panna Cotta

Coconut Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Gelee (dairy free)

Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blood Orange

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)

White Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rhubarb (vegan)
 
Print
Serves: serves 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 can Full-fat Coconut Milk
  • 4 tablespoons Maple Syrup (or agave syrup)
  • 2 tablespoons Cacao butter, finely chopped
  • ½ Vanilla Bean, sliced in half, seeds scraped
  • 1 teaspoon Agar Agar, powdered
  • 3 Rhubarb Stalks
  • ½ cup Raw Cane Sugar
  • ¼ cup Reisling Wine (water can also be used)
Instructions
  1. Place the coconut milk, maple syrup, cacao butter, vanilla bean and agar agar in a small saucepan. Heat on medium high, whisking occasionally, until the cacao butter is melted and agar agar is full dissolved. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Remove the vanilla bean and divide the mixture between 4-6 small jars or molds. Place in the fridge and chill for 2-3 hours.
  2. Peel the rhubarb into thick ribbons with a potato peeler and place in a saucepan with the sugar and wine. Bring to a boil, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Boil for about 30 seconds and remove from heat.
  3. Remove the strips of rhubarb from the syrup and let cool.
  4. When rhubarb is cool, loosely coil the strips around your finger, using about 3-4 strips, until you form a rosette.
  5. Place the rosette on top of a jar of panna cotta (or an unmolded panna cotta). Repeat with the remaining strips until all panna cottas are topped with rosettes. Drizzle the syrup on top of the panna cottas.
  6. Serve cold.
3.2.2925

 

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Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Puddings Custards and Mousse, refined sugar free, Vegan

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Comments

  1. Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says

    April 26, 2016 at 5:35 AM

    These panna cottas are just divine. I love your attention to detail, and the kindred spirit I recognize in your pursuit of that one elusive natural ingredient. The result here is stunning, and would fit at home on any Mother’s Day brunch! -Ksenia

    Reply
    • Kayley says

      May 1, 2016 at 1:07 PM

      Thank you so much for your kind comment, Ksenia! =)

      Reply
  2. Sophie | The Green Life says

    May 23, 2016 at 9:39 PM

    Oh my gosh, Kayley, these panna cotta are so pretty!! I love everything about these. I’ve been so inspired and amazed by your beautiful work lately (the recipes, creativity, styling and photography). I’m so happy to have discovered your blog. <3

    Reply
    • Kayley says

      June 1, 2016 at 10:44 AM

      Thank you so much, Sophie! Your kind comments made my day =)

      Reply
  3. Tani says

    July 2, 2016 at 6:29 PM

    Hello Kayley, the panna cotta is great 🙂 I tried it today and have it in the fridge right now to serve tomorrow. Only question I have, do you have the video on how to make the rhubarb rosettes? I’m not sure I will manage to put them on ^^

    Reply
    • Kayley says

      July 3, 2016 at 1:16 PM

      Hi Tani! Glad you liked the Panna cotta! I don’t have a video up yet, sorry ?. If you wind the strips of rhubarb around your finger until you have a large spiral, you can slide it off onto your Panna cottas and adjust them from there.

      Reply

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