Daring Baker's - February 2011 - Panna Cotta and Florentines Cookies
Autor: Maria Beatrix | Publicado: 2011-02-27T19:15:00-03:00

Blog-checking lines: The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
Mandatory Items: Panna Cotta and Florentine Cookies 
Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta1 cup (240 ml) whole milk1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)1/3 cup (80 ml) honey1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugarpinch of salt Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.
I&nbsp;added a teaspoom of almond extract to&nbsp;my Panna Cotta, but I didn't like the result. It was too strong for such a delicate cream. I also chose&nbsp;4 different jams to mix with Panna Cotta: Apricot, Orange, Wild Rose and Rosmary. &nbsp;Apricot and orange jams worked far more better then the others ( too sweet).&nbsp;Unfortunately I was too anxious to see the final results of all of this and added the apricot jam a&nbsp;bit early. The panna cotta was not fully fixed and everything mixed up. Not beautiful, but very tasty indeed.
Nestle Florentine Cookies

2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extractpinch of salt1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean). Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper). 
Thanks to Mallory for this challenge. It was one of the most easy and quick ones which was a bless in this hot, hot hot summer we are having here in Brasil. And, as always,&nbsp; I had a lot of fun being part of this.&nbsp; 
Don't forget to check what the other Daring Bakers had done at The Daring Kitchen website 
Também em http://www.labgastro.blogspot.com/