Lavender Panna Cotta with Toffee Apples and Hazelnut Meringue

Name: Lavender Panna Cotta with Toffee Apples and Hazelnut Meringue
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 golden delicious or pink lady apples, each cut into 8 crescents; 20 g butter; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lavender; 250 g castor sugar; 75 ml water; 2 tablespoons lavender honey; 60 ml liqueur tokay; 75 g hazelnuts, roasted and skinned; 2 teaspoons hazelnut oil; 25 ml water; 1 cup castor sugar; 100 g castor sugar; 60 g egg whites; 1 cup ground hazelnuts; 2 tablespoons cornflour; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh lavender; 340 ml thick (45%) cream; 65 g castor sugar; 165 ml milk; 4 g gelatine leaves, softened in cold water

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Fire

By Christine Manfield

Published 2008

About

I created this dessert to partner an 18-year-old ancient reserve single malt, which we served alongside – a magical union that was cause for much comment. Each of the elements in the dessert can be prepared beforehand, leaving the final assembly until you are ready to serve.

Ingredients

Lavender Panna Cotta

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lavender
65 g castor sugar

Europe
France
Dessert
Mediterranean

Method

To make the panna cotta, combine the lavender, sugar, cream and milk in a saucepan, stir and bring very slowly to the boil. The slower the infusion, the better the flavour. Add the softened gelatine and stir until dissolved. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a jug, then pour into eight 150 ml dar