Rose and yoghurt panna cotta with coconut caramel and fresh berries

For the panna cotta

Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pods and add to the milk and cream. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes.
Soak the gelatine leaves in a little cold water until they soften.
Remove the cream mixture from the heat and fold in the icing sugar until it has dissolved.
Add the gelatine, rose-water and yoghurt, and strain through a sieve to remove all lumps.
Pour into small coffee cups or moulds.

For the coconut caramel
As you make this, your kitchen will be filled with a really exotic fragrance. Plus the coconut milk lowers the GI of the caramel.

Bring the sugar and milk to the boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring it every now and then until the caramel begins to thicken. Add sea salt flakes if you’d like to have salted caramel.
Pour into a jug and set aside until needed. Don’t worry if it solidifies. Simply heat it in the microwave just before serving.

To assemble
Turn out the panna cotta into shallow dessert bowls or onto plates.
Pour the caramel over and around them. Add the berries and enjoy your guests’ admiring expressions.

Cook's note: 

Panna cotta is really just cream that has been set and is much easier to make than it sounds. If the consistency is right, it is seriously impressive. This recipe (inspired by a Nigel Slater recipe) uses yoghurt, which cuts the richness slightly, but you could easily stick with the traditional cream and just add a squeeze of lemon juice.

This dessert goes well with the unusual caramel made fom coconut sugar and coconut milk. The earhty flavour offsets the sweetness of the rose-water which can be cloying.

You can serve it with any berries but raspberries or mulberries are best.

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