Cashew panna cotta with grape compote, caramelized cashew nuts and matcha candied rose petals 🌱

All components of this vegan dessert – a light, creamy cashew panna cotta, a tart grape compote, spicy, crunchy caramelized cashew nuts and earthy, sweet matcha candies rose petals – can be prepared in advance. Don’t let the number of components bother you. Each component is foolproof. The only thing left to do on D-Day is plating.

Panna cotta: Mix 5 dl cashew milk, 75 g brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 8 g agar agar. As the gelling strengt of agar agar varies, I advise you to consult the instructions for your product. The sachets of 8 g I bought were intended for 5 dl liquid. Bring it to a boil and let simmer for at least 2 minutes in order for the agar agar to gel. Pour into portion molds (I used silikon cupcake molds) and allow to set in the fridge. This’ll take at least a couple of hours.

Grape compote: Since both the panna cotta and the cashew nuts are fairly sweet, I wanted the grapes to have a slight sour note. That’s why I didn’t add any sugar to the compote. I boiled a handful of halved white grapes in a splash prosecco until the liquide was gone.

Caramelized cashew nuts: Bring 60 g brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of grounded ginger and 0.5 dl water to a boil. Add a handful cashew nuts and let the water evaporate while constantly stirring. The nuts will first turn crumbly and only after a while get shiny again. When nice and shiny, let the nuts cool on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Matcha candied rose petals: For this vegan version, I made a syrup out of 1 dl caster sugar and 1 dl water. I let it cool and then dipped an entire, pre-cleansed organic white rose in the syrup and let it dry for half an hour on parchment paper. Thereafter, I separated the petals and dipped them one at a time in the syrup and let them dry for an hour on parchment paper. I did this twice and you will need to repeat this step as many times as necessary in order for the petals to get sticky. Dip the petals into a mixture of 1 tbsp caster sugar and 1 tsp matcha powder. Again, place the petals on parchment paper and let dry for a day or two.

I decorated the plates with wild daisies, but edible flower will add a nice touch to the plate.

I served this dish as a dolce in my green springtime menu.

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