This Adagio Teas Earl Grey Lavender Panna Cotta is a simple yet impressive dessert that’s perfect for Easter brunch. The delicate, lightly sweet flavor pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of your favorite tea.
As much as I love listening to my favorite music, viewing a flamboyant sunset, or savoring a lovingly crafted meal, I feel there’s something to be said about the sense of smell.
Smell is transformative.
The scent of satsumas and other citrus will always take me to Christmas.
The sweet smell of honeysuckle sends me back to my youth and the tree-filled area that once bordered my grammar school.
And the delicate aroma of lavender and vanilla (specifically, this Aveeno lotion) makes me think of my sweet Bazooka when he was an infant and spent hours cradled in my arms.
Smell is indeed transformative and magical.
Even though I adore the scent of that baby lotion, it’s not edible—contrary to what Bazooka thinks! 😉
The lavender you see here, though, is edible and happens to be the star of the special dessert I’m sharing today!
Recently I was given the opportunity to sample some selections of gourmet tea from Adagio Teas.
Oh my gosh—they have every flavor of tea and every tea-making tool you could imagine!
It was so difficult to narrow my choices down, but I knew with my love of all things lavender I had to try their Earl Grey Lavender tea bags.
Good choice—this tea is magical.
Since it is caffeinated, I don’t drink it at night—but I’ve been enjoying it in the afternoons at work.
The lavender flavor shines through, but it doesn’t overwhelm the citrusy bergamot notes typical of earl grey.
Some of the flavors I’ve yet to taste include the White Peony, Citron Green, and Darjeeling Puttabong Summer (I’ve never had darjeeling tea).
As much as I could go on and on about the delicious aromas and flavors of these teas, I wanted to do something creative with one of them to prove how versatile Adagio teas can be.
Enter: panna cotta.
I’ve probably eaten panna cotta twice in my life—it’s not something I normally gravitate to—so I had no idea how easy it was to make!
The lavender and earl grey flavors aren’t overwhelming at all, but they provide an extra dimension to an otherwise simple dessert.
So pull out your fancy china and impress your guests with this delicate Adagio Earl Grey Lavender Panna Cotta!
Adagio Teas Earl Grey Lavender Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 3 teabags Adagio Teas Earl Grey Lavender
- 1 tsp plain, unflavored gelatin
- 1 ½ Tbsp cold water
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch orange zest
- fresh berries to garnish
Directions
- In a small saucepan, bring the cream and tea to a gentle boil (although you could probably boil the bags as is, I cut them open). Once boiling, remove from heat and cover with aluminum foil (venting to allow steam to escape) and steep for approximately 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, add the gelatin and cold water to a small bowl. Allow to soften for a few minutes.
- Strain your cream, and then add back into saucepan with vanilla, sugar, gelatin slush, and orange zest. Be very careful not to boil the mixture. Whisk until gelatin and sugar are dissolved.
- Transfer to 4 teacups. Place in refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) for several hours (overnight is best) until firm. Serve with fresh berries right out of the teacups!
Of course you could chill and serve these in ramekins, decorative bowls, or glasses, but I thought the teacups were perfect given the whole tea infusion.
Even if you don’t make this panna cotta (but you WILL!), I recommend you give Adagio Teas a try! Ordering couldn’t have been simpler (once I narrowed down my choices, that is), and their teas truly are some of the best I’ve tried.
**I received a free sample of Adagio Tea to review on my blog. I was not compensated for this blog post, and all opinions are my own**
So tell me…
- What scents bring back special memories for you?
- Do you ever cook or bake with lavender?
- What’s your favorite tea (if you’re a tea drinker)?
I’m loving the early grey recipes! Such a unique flavor and something I would never have thought to cook or bake with!
Yeah, I never thought of it before now! Now I want to try an earl grey whipped cream to go on a cake or fruit.
Ooh panna cotta sounds like a really rich delicious dessert. I don’t think I’ve ever had it. And the flavors of lavender and vanilla sound like they would go really well together. They’re both such soft flavors.
With all the heavy cream you’d expect it to be rich, but it’s surprisingly light! It’s kind of like a lighter custard.
This sounds so good. I think I’ve only had panna cotta once in my life, but I need to change that and make this recipe asap! 🙂
Yeah – it’s not very common (at least where I eat!). Hope you enjoy if you make it.