Hojicha Panna Cotta (Printable)

Silky cream infused with roasted hojicha, creating an elegant Japanese-inspired custard.

# Components:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk

→ Sweetener

03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar

→ Tea

04 - 2 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 3 hojicha tea bags

→ Setting Agent

05 - 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
06 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Garnish

07 - Whipped cream
08 - Shaved chocolate or roasted nuts
09 - Edible flowers

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes until fully hydrated.
02 - In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and granulated sugar. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture steams but does not boil.
03 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Add the hojicha tea and allow it to steep for 7 to 8 minutes, infusing the cream with roasted tea notes.
04 - Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, gently pressing the tea leaves to extract maximum flavor. Discard the solids.
05 - Return the strained cream mixture to the saucepan and reheat gently over low heat until warm but not boiling. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk continuously until fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
06 - Pour the mixture evenly into 4 ramekins or serving glasses. Allow to cool to room temperature, approximately 20 minutes.
07 - Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the custard is completely set and silky to the touch.
08 - Run a thin-bladed knife around the edges of each ramekin to loosen, then invert onto serving plates, or serve directly in the glasses. Top with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, roasted nuts, or edible flowers as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when really you've only invested about thirty minutes of actual work.
  • The roasted tea flavor is subtle enough to feel sophisticated but bold enough that everyone will ask what makes it taste so different.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and vegetarian (if you swap the gelatin), so it works for almost any dietary preference without feeling like a compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blooming step for gelatin—I learned this the hard way when I tried to dissolve it directly in the cream and ended up with grainy, separated dessert that no amount of whisking could fix.
  • The temperature of the cream when you add the gelatin matters more than you'd think; if it's too hot, you'll kill some of the hojicha flavor, and if it's too cool, the gelatin won't dissolve completely.
  • Hojicha steeping time is flexible between seven and eight minutes, but going longer creates bitterness—I once let it steep for twelve minutes out of impatience and had to start over.
03 -
  • For a vegan version that tastes just as creamy, replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream and the milk with oat or almond milk, then use agar-agar instead of gelatin—agar-agar is plant-based and sets beautifully, though you'll need to adjust the quantity slightly and boil it rather than just gently warm it.
  • Adding a pinch of fleur de sel or high-quality sea salt to the cream mixture before chilling creates an incredible depth of flavor that guests will notice but won't be able to identify—it's a secret ingredient that makes people think you're more talented than you actually are.
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