Lavender panna cotta with viola garnish

A creamy dish fused with a perfumed sweetness

Ingredients: For the lavender syrup 225ml water 100g caster sugar Handful of lavender flowers

For the panna cotta 600ml double cream 50g vanilla sugar Zest of 1 orange 2 tsp gelatine Viola flowers to garnish

Method: 1. To make the lavender syrup, heat the water and caster sugar in a pan. Stir until the sugar melts and boil steadily so the liquid reduces a little. Leave to cool. 2. When the sugar has cooled, add the lavender flowers to the pan. 3. For the panna cotta, line six ramekins with cling film and place on a tray. Warm three quarters of the cream in a pan with the vanilla sugar and orange zest, taking care not to boil the cream. Sieve the mixture into a mixing bowl. 4. Sprinkle the gelatine over two tablespoons of water in a clean pan and leave until it’s spongy. Heat very gently over a low heat until it dissolves. 5. Add the cream mixture to the gelatine and take off the heat. Leave to cool. 6. Softly whip the remaining cream and add to the mix. 7. Pour into the ramekins and transfer to the fridge to chill for at least two hours until the panna cotta is set. 8. Turn onto serving plates and drizzle the lavender syrup over them. Garnish with viola flowers.