Renato Moraes

Guava Panna Cotta

Wednesday, 26. November 2008, 00:16:43

Some time ago, I decided to go to the local farmer's market (That's the only way I can think of calling Sacolão, which is a kind of supermarket specialized in vegetables), and while I was there, wandering around, and looking for some stuff (sweet potatoes, plums, tomatoes, and so on...), I passed by an astonishing smell. It was sweet, tropical and fresh. I usually get to think it was from mangoes, or pineapple, or even passion fruit.
I know, I know... they're quite different from each other...
But c'mon, these times, I have such a wonderful smell in my nostrills, I just can't think very well! That makes me remember: Have you guys ever watched a TV Show called Distraction? You really should check it out! And then, you can think of criticizing me!

As you may have already guessed (Duh, it's in the title!), the smell came from some fresh and ripe Guavas. Guavas, here in Brazil, almost grow like pests, in the countryside! Of course, we do have large guava plantations, too, and that's from where I believe thise guavas came.
I just couldn't not buy half a dozen guavas. I bet anyone who could smell that would be charmed by them! So I bought them! But there just one problem: I don't really like guavas all that much, and they aren't really easy to process into something good. We have the so Brazilian Goiabada, a Guava Marmelade, but I didn't have enough guavas for that, nor patience to boil them that long...
Think, Higa, think! You've got to do sth with that! You've bought them, so you gotta use!
And then I got to something! Turning them into a nice fresh panna cotta! Or something similar!
Panna cotta is the Italian for Cooked Cream. To make things simple, it's like a sweet gelatin, mixed with cream and milk. For mine, I used only Milk (Didn't have cream available), but the final result was quite interesting!
By the way, panna cottas are quite light desserts, if you make 'em only with milk, as I did!

Guava Panna Cotta
Yelds 6

6 medium guavas, peeled and seeded (use only the "skin flesh")
500 ml milk
100g white sugar
2 tsp powdered gelatin
4 tbsp extra milk

After peeling and seeding the 6 guavas, you'll have their shells. Dice them into 1cm squares (no need to be precise here, ok? ^.~).
Cover 6x150ml molds with some plastic wrap.
Warm 500ml milk and mix in the 100g white sugar.
Meanwhile, mix the 2 tsp pwdered gelatin into 4 tbsp milk. Allow it to stand for 3 to five minutes, so gelatin will react and turn into a spongy consistency.
Add the gelatin mixture to the warm milk and sugar. Warm it on medium heat, and then add the guavas.
Divide the mixture into the six molds and cool them for 8 hours or overnight.
To serve, remove them from the molds and "peel" them from the plastic wrap. You can cover it with some berry jam, or serve them plain!

Cinnamon PancakesNovember 2008 Daring Bakers Chalenge!

Comments

Anonymous # 28. November 2008, 02:44

Minami Kohime writes:

Guava titties, nice. You didn't tell me you had done them.

btw, this thing of buying things by impulse might leave your bank account emptier than my stomach. Please, be careful...

- Minami, very dull.