Hibiscus–Vanilla Bean Panna Cottas
 
Yield: 8 panna cottas • Preparation: 25 minutes • Refrigerate: 4 hours
Ingredients
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 8 tea bags pure hibiscus herbal tea
  • 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved
  • 1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Garnish: edible fresh flowers*
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, scald cream, but do not let boil. Remove from heat, and add tea bags and vanilla bean and reserved seeds. Cover, and let stand for 15 minutes.
  2. After 15 minutes, squeeze and discard tea bags. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
  3. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  4. Add sugar and salt to cream mixture in saucepan. Return saucepan to medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. When cream is hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring to incorporate gelatin. Whisk cream mixture again, and divide among 8 (2-ounce) ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, being careful not to let plastic touch panna cottas. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  5. To unmold panna cottas, dip bottom of each ramekin into a bowl of very hot water for 10 seconds. Place a serving plate on top of ramekin, and invert, shaking to release panna cotta.
  6. Garnish panna cottas with edible flowers, if desired.
Notes
Make-ahead Tip: Panna cottas can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until needed.

Kitchen Tip: Panna cottas can also be made in another type of serving dish, such as teacups or parfait glasses, and eaten with a spoon rather than unmolding.

*We used dianthus and micro orchids, available from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals, 800-931-7530, gourmetsweetbotanicals.com.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://www.teatimemagazine.com/hibiscus-vanilla-bean-panna-cottas-recipe/