Panna Cotta with Spicy Ginger and Chili Syrup and Ginger Mocktail

The syrup in this alone is amazing in drinks and mocktails.

Feel free to use your favorite panna cotta recipe here. This one works well, but the spicy ginger syrup is the thing that was off the charts. I used it to make a mocktail, don’t do enough of them, and will be sharing that here too. I used some peppers from my garden. Not sure which ! As an aside, the cocktail I really want tonight is an old fashioned. That video should be out soon along with a tarte tatin ( However I’d love one more do over on that to try something. We had the tarte tatin with sazeracs here the night we filmed that) and thinking of sending out a no recipe recipe for affogato too. This recipe is from David Lebovitz adapted by Eugenia Bone and now me, perhaps.

Panna Cotta with Ginger Chili Syrup

Vegetable oil or nonstick spray

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons powdered ginger

1 packet (¼ ounce) powdered unflavored gelatin

½ cup ginger syrup (see recipe)

Ground black pepper, for garnish

Step 1

Lightly oil or spray 4 4-ounce ramekins, and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream, sugar and ginger. Whisk until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat.

Step 2

In medium bowl, combine the gelatin with 3 tablespoons water. Add cream mixture to the gelatin, pouring it through a fine strainer if ginger has not thoroughly dissolved in the cream. Whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.

Step 3

Pour the mixture into ramekins. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, 4 to 6 hours. (Do not chill more than 12 hours or the panna cotta will become rubbery.)

Step 4

To serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of each panna cotta. Place ramekin upside down on a serving plate and tap bottom with knife; panna cotta should fall out. If it doesn't, use knife tip to release panna cotta from bottom. Garnish with ginger syrup - warm, room temperature or cool - and a few grinds of pepper.

Alternately, make Johnny Shipley’s panna cotta with coconut milk this weekend and add this syrup to the top.

Ginger Syrup

• 8ounces spring ginger, peeled and sliced into thin disks ( I used normal ginger here)

• 1½cups sugar

• 2 or 32-inch-long strips lemon zest (optional)

• 1small dried hot pepper (optional, but I used some peppers from the garden)

Preparation :

Step 1

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the ginger, sugar, lemon zest and hot pepper (if using) and 2 cups water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Step 2

Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Remove pepper, if using, and continue simmering until syrup is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Do not reduce too much or syrup will crystallize when cool.

Step 3

Remove syrup from heat and allow to cool. Strain it, reserving the ginger for another use (like candied ginger) if desired. Pour syrup into a jar or bottle, and refrigerate for up to a week; flavor will fade after that. (To make a quick ginger ale, put 2 teaspoons in ½ cup soda water and stir.) ( I tried this and added a bit more ginger syrup, but I like a lot of ginger)

Ginger Mocktail :

This ratio for a mocktail is great for any occasion depending on what citrus and syrup you have on hand. You should have a recipe in your back pocket to pull out when people don’t want or can’t have alcohol. Play with this to your hearts content. Just change around the syrup and citrus juices. The ratio is 2:1:1

2 oz club soda

1 oz syrup ( I used the ginger syrup above)

1 oz citrus juice (lime or lemon. I used lime)

Add the ginger syrup to your a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add your lime juice. Shake with ice until the shaker is too cold to hold. Pour in the glass, and top it with club soda. Added a cube or two of ice to mine.

Another delicious variation that could useful for the upcoming holidays with guests that do not drink is an apple cider variation with lemon.

Apple Cider and Lemon Mocktail

2 oz club soda

1 oz syrup ( homemade apple cider syrup)

1 oz citrus juice (lemon juice )

Add syrup and citrus juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until too cold to hold. Pour in glass and top with club soda.