This desert is guaranteed to get oohs and ahhs twice, once when it is presented, and again after your guests have dug in. Many thanks to global traveller Merryn Dowling for sharing it.

PANNA COTTA WITH ROSE PETAL SYRUP

Ingredients – Serves 4
1 sachet gelatin (about 7g)
4 tablespoons water
159ml single cream
1 vanilla pod
75g caster sugar
500g mascarpone cheese
½ teaspoon almond extract or 1 tablespoon of Amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon rosewater

Syrup
25g vanilla sugar
8-8 tablespoons white wine

Serve
1 scented rose, pulled into petals
Amaretti or Cantuuci biscuits

Method
Put gelatin into a bowl with water and leave to swell. Meanwhile put cream, vanilla pod (split and seeded) into a saucepan, heat until simmering then to almost boiling. Turn off heat and allow to stand for 2 minutes.

Stir in soaked gelatin until dissolved. Remove vanilla pod (dry and use to make vanilla sugar!)

Put sugar, mascarpone, almond extract and half the rosewater in a bowl and whisk until creamy and smooth. Whisk in the gelatin mixture. Pour into oiled pots, cups or moulds and chill for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile to make the syrup put the vanilla sugar and white wine into a small saucepan over gentle heat and stir until dissolved and bubbling. Let it cool slightly then stir in the remaining rosewater.

Serve the pan cotta in their pots or turned out, with a trickle of syrup, several scented rose petals and crisp biscuits.

Buon Appetito!