Matcha Tea & Cherry ‘Panna Cotta’

 During Summer, I could only eat cherries…their season is so short and those fruits are so delicious ! This year, I was able to have some really high-quality ones. They were eaten pretty fast, either transformed as jam (for the really ripe ones) or served with a matcha tea ‘panna cotta’. I use the word ‘panna cotta’ because my recipe is a way close to the traditional italien dessert, but in reality it is more of a almond and coconut milk cream. The agar agar gives it a kind of a ‘solid’ aspect once the cream cools down. Matcha tea is traditionally used in japanese tea ceremonies and pastries. It is loaded with good qualities for our health like helping our immune system, providing us with antioxidants and some vitamins A, E and C. You can find it in organic stores and tea stores. Its price is generally pretty high (be careful, there are different quality levels) but you use very little quantities each time. What I love in this recipe is the contrast between the strong ‘green leaves’ taste of the matcha tea (there’s even a bitterness into it) with the sweetness and softness of the cherry compote. Ingredients:

  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 4 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1 tsp matcha tea powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)
  • 2 tsp agar agar
  • 2 cups cherries, halved and stoneless

Recipe:

  1. In a pan, pour the milks, the vanilla and stir well
  2. On low heat, add the matcha powder and stir constantly (if you need, use a whisk)
  3. Add the agar agar to the mix, carefully paying attention not to make any lump (stir constantly and if needed, sieve it)
  4. Let it to cook for two additional minutes and pour the mix into some bowls
  5. Let it cool down and then place the desserts in the fridge for at least two hours
  6. Meanwhile, put the cherries in a pan and cook them with a tbsp of water till they turn to a puree
  7. Once the fruit compote ready, let it cool down and pour it before serving on the ‘panne cotte’

Enjoy !