Honeysuckle Panna Cotta

(Makes 4 servings)

2 - 3 cups of honeysuckle
2 cups milk
1/2 cups of heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup of sugar (and an extra pinch or two)
small pinch of cinnamon*
2 gelatin (packets)
3 tablespoons water

The first step is to pick honeysuckle.  You'll want 2-3 cups.

Put these in a fine mesh strainer or in a bowl and rinse under cool or warm water.  If you've followed the guide and avoided bugs, pesticides and poison ivy this should be clean.  You don't want the water too hot, or it will draw more of the flavor out and we want all that to go into the cream. (Same advice as the Honeysuckle Ice Cream recipe.)

You may want to reserve a few of the flowers for garnish.   Put the rest of the honeysuckle in a large, clean bowl and pour the cream over it.  A pinch or two of sugar sprinkled over should help draw out the flavor, much like with strawberry.  Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until infused.  I like to leave it overnight for the best results. Stir it several times and don't worry about being too rough with the flowers, you can stir it thoroughly. (Also the same as the Honeysuckle Ice Cream.)

Lightly coat 4 - 6 small bowls, cups or ramekins with oil.  For Panna Cotta I like to use almond oil because it's light and the flavor of the oil wont conflict.  If you plan on serving these in the cups without unmolding them you can skip this step.  (Mini glass Pyrex bowls work beautifully for this and are sold in most supermarkets, you can also use mini tart pans as I did in the batch used for my picture.)

Sprinkle in small pinch of cinnamon and heat the cream on medium heat until it's lukewarm.  This will help draw the last of the oils in the flower out, but if you get it too hot the flowers will begin to decay in the heat and release too much oil, detracting from the taste.  When it is lukewarm remove from heat, strain, make sure there are no flowers left in the pot and return cream to the pot.  Then resume heating.

Cook, stirring, until it's almost hot.  Be careful heating cream or cream combinations because they are less inclined to boil like thinner liquid due to the fat content.  Instead they will scorch and burn on the bottom so be sure to keep stirring and check the temperature frequently.  It just needs to be hot enough to melt the gelatin.

Meanwhile sprinkle 2 and a half teaspoons (about one whole packet and a fourth of a second packet) of gelatin lightly over 3 - 4 tablespoons of water in a large, shallow bowl.  Try to spread it evenly and not in large clumps, so it will dissolve more easily once you pour the cream over it.  Let stand for one to five minutes, basically from the time you put the cream on until whenever it's hot enough to use.

Pour the warm-hot honeysuckle cream over the gelatin and mix until dissolved.  Try to incorporate it the best you can, but if you're left with a few gelatin bits fish them out with a spoon or strainer.

Pour the gelatin mixture into your prepared, oiled bowls and refrigerate for several hours.  3-5 is your safest bet, you don’t want to risk your hard work going to waste if they haven't fully set before serving time.

To unmold put hot water in a bowl and dip each of the ramekins (or whatever you have chosen to use) in the water to loosen the bottom (which will be the top when you flip it over) from the glass.  Run a butter knife carefully around the outside of the Panna Cotta to separate it from the glass (the oil helps make this process easier since it's less inclined to stick).  Again, if you’re serving it in the dish just skip this step.

Wipe off excess water, hold small plate or serving dish against bowl and carefully flip over.  It should slide right out.

Drizzle with syrup and serve (see Black Tea syrup recipe).

If serving with fruit put any garnishes or berries on the side, as you will risk breaking or cracking the Panna Cotta.

*The idea to include cinnamon was taken from NPR's recipe for honeysuckle sorbet.  I wanted to make mine as ice cream, but when I first looked up the concept to see if anyone else had the idea I couldn't find much.  The only good thing was NPR's reproduction of someone's sorbet recipe and I find the dash of cinnamon really does help bring out the flavor of the honeysuckle.

[Feel free to enjoy my recipes, but please don't repost on other sites (such as Allrecipes) or take without credit.]