This elderflower panna cotta is light and delicately scented with fresh elderflowers.
It makes a rich and creamy foragers dessert.
I dreamt this Elderflower Panna Cotta up in the cold winter months and have been itching for my elder to start flowering ever since.
I chose to make mine dairy-free by using rice milk.
But even if you choose to use cows milk, please also add the can of coconut milk.
You can’t taste the coconut and it makes the whole dessert incredibly creamy and decadent.
It really is delicious!
Aim to pick your elderflowers on a warm, dry day.
Ideally in the morning, after any dew has dried off.
Pick them gently, and place them carefully into your basket.
Your aim is to keep as much of the pollen on each flower as possible.
The pollen is where the magic is at :)
I personally don’t mind if there’s the odd teeny bug in with mine.
However, I’m a farmers daughter, and appreciate that not everyone would feel the same!
So, rather than shaking the bugs out (remember – pollen!) just leave the blossoms out on a garden table or piece of newspaper until the bugs have evicted themselves!
A quick reminder if you’re new to foraging, the bark, twigs and leaves of the elder tree are poisonous.
So be sure to only add the teeny little blooms to your pan.
And if you’re as mad as me about all things elder, do check out my video on how to make elderflower cordial.
Elderflower Panna Cotta
Oh, and if it’s not elderflower season wherever and whenever you are.
Why not try it with elderflower cordial or the more traditional vanilla instead?
- 1 can coconut milk 400ml
- 40 g sugar
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 6 elderflower heads
- 115 ml milk cow or non dairy
- 1 sachet gelatine
- Simmer coconut milk, sugar, lemon zest and flowers for 10 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat the milk and pour in the gelatine powder mixing well to dissolve.
- Strain the coconut milk through a fine sieve or muslin cloth into the rice milk & gelatine and stir well.
- Pour into small dishes, ramekins or even tea cups and let cool a while before popping in a fridge for 4+ hours.
- Either serve in the dishes, or hold each dish in warm water, dry the bottom of the dish, then flip out onto your serving plates. I used small ceramic dishes and it was tricky to get them out and it took quite a lot of heat to loosen then. A metal ramekin would be much quicker/easier, as would serving them in their pots!
Sprinkle with fresh elder flowers (minus any twigs, foliage or bugs!) and enjoy :)
Glamorous Glutton says
Fabulous recipe and I bet it’s really fragrant with both the coconut milk and the elderflowers. Do you find gelatine granules better than sheets? GG
Jane Sarchet says
Honestly GG, they were all I could find. There was no faffing or waiting for them to soak so it was easy from that respect but I can’t see there being any difference at all to the finished dessert, can you?
Janie x
Simone says
O yay… Day 3 already!! Really good of you to do the whole30! Im doing a Final recap of all the things it brought me… Mine is officially finished but I’m struggling a little bit to decide how to move forward now. I don’t want to go back to sugary stuff (I’ve also watched Fed Up!!) so I need to find something that works for me. And yes the headaches… Sugar withdrawal…! Good luck dear!
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Simone :) So, day 4 today and I’ve spent most of it high as a kite! Is this normal?! I’ve felt utterly amazing, but kind of waiting for this gigantic crash everyone ta;ls about :D
Janie x
Simone says
Lol… It varies per person really… It’s ups and downs mostly! ;)
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I cant decide whether I want to see the film or live in blissful ignorance. Lovely recipe
Jane Sarchet says
Hmmm, I would say watch it. You can always choose to do nothing with the info :)
Janie x
Elizabeth says
Such a gorgeous, delicate dessert! I love this idea!
Jane Sarchet says
Aww, thanks Elizabeth :) It is a proper treat for the lactose challenged among us!
Janie x
Nayna Kanabar says
Wow looks great with lovely photos, can it be made veggie friendly by replacing gelatine with agar agar??
Jane Sarchet says
I don’t see why not Nayna, although you’d probably have more of an idea on how to work with agar agar than me :)
Janie x
sarah says
Love panna cotta! Never tried it with elderflower..very intrigued.
Jane Sarchet says
Try it Sarah! Although Jonny thought the cat had peed in the kitchen as elderflowers do have a cat pee whiff about them :D
Janie x
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
These look adorable! Little pillows of soft wobbliness with those beautiful star link flowers on top. What a fab recipe!
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Emma! They are proper wobbly aren’t they, a great reminder of childhood jelly :)
Janie x
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
This sounds so lovely and I have plenty of elderflowers in the garden which I was wondering how to use. Great idea, hope the elimination diet world wonders for you!
Jane Sarchet says
Thank you Laura, I hope so too :)
Janie x
MeinCupcake says
Oh, that panna cotta looks soooo delicious. I love the idea of putting some elderflower heads on it. I definitely have to try that recipe. Thank you so much for your inspiring post!
Best wishes, Sue :)
Jane Sarchet says
Thank you for the sweet message Sue, and if you do give it a go, do let me know if you liked it :)
Janie x
Kate | The Veg Space says
These look incredible – might try giving a vegetarian version a try using vege-gel or agar flakes in place of the gelatine. Yum – thanks for sharing!
Jane Sarchet says
My pleasure, and I hope you love it if you give it a go :)
Janie x