Buttermilk panna cotta with boozy greengages

Get ahead

The greengages can easily be swapped here for another stone fruit, or to make panna cotta with caramel, melt 150g caster sugar in a large pan over medium heat. Do not be tempted to stir, simply swirl the pan to make sure it all melts evenly. Continue to cook until it turns a golden amber colour. Pour into the bases of your pudding moulds or ramekins and allow to set before pouring over your panna cotta mix.

SERVES 4-6

FOR THE PANNA COTTAS

⚫ 1½ gelatine sheets

(2 if you want a firmer set)

⚫ 225g double cream

⚫ 90g caster sugar

⚫ 1tsp vanilla bean paste or ½ vanilla pod

⚫ 225g buttermilk

FOR THE BOOZY GREENGAGES

⚫ 8-10 greengages (about 200g), halved and pitted

⚫ 45g light brown soft sugar

⚫ 3tbsp brandy

⚫ Whole roasted almonds (about

⚫ 30-40g), roughly chopped, to decorate

1 For the panna cottas, soak gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5-10min. Heat 125g of the cream, the sugar and vanilla together in a medium pan until just beginning to boil. Remove from heat. Squeeze gelatine to remove excess water, then add to the hot cream mixture and sit for 10min to cool a little.

2 Stir in the remaining cream and the buttermilk and whisk until smooth (remove and discard vanilla pod, if using). Pour into ramekins or non-reactive pudding moulds and leave to cool for 15min. Chill for at least 4hr, ideally overnight.

3 For the boozy greengages, heat a small frying pan over medium heat and place the fruit in, cut-sides down. Sprinkle over the sugar and cook for a min or so until the fruit begins to colour. Add the brandy and turn heat down. Shake pan to coat the fruit and melt the sugar. You can flambé the fruit, if you like, at this point.

4 Add a splash of water if your sauce has thickened and remove from the heat. You don’t want to overcook the fruit, as they may lose their shape, so err on the side of caution. Taste the syrup and adjust accordingly (you can add a little vanilla or a squeeze of orange juice to it, if you like).

5 To serve, dip the panna cottas into a bowl of boiling water and allow to sit for a few sec (if you have made them in ramekins, you may need to leave them for longer or use a knife to begin to loosen them). Place a serving plate over the top of each panna cotta, then flip over quickly. You may need to give them a jiggle to get them out of the moulds. Spoon over a few of the greengages and a little of the syrup and decorate with the almonds.

The panna cottas and boozy greengages will keep for up to 3 days; cover and chill (separately).