Paris on Ice, Masticha Yoghurt Dessert

Paris on Ice, is an old fashioned Cypriot Dessert, similar to pannacotta but made with evaporated milk,, almonds and gelatin.

I based this dessert, on a pudding my mother used to make back in Cyprus around the '70s.

Unveiling the Stars: Masticha and Yoghurt

At the heart of "Paris on Ice", lies masticha, a resin harvested from the mastic tree native to the Mediterranean.

Known for its unique flavour and aromatic qualities, masticha adds a distinct touch to this dessert, infusing it with a subtle piney, earthy sweetness.

Combined with the tangy creaminess of yoghurt, the result is a symphony of tastes that dance on your palate.

For those of you who are not familiar with the mastic resin, it is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Pistacio family growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, which is cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios.

The word mastic derives from the Greek verb mastichein ("to gnash the teeth", origin of the English word masticate) or massein ("to chew").  You may read more about masticha here.

For reasons that are not entirely understood, only the trees in the southern part of the island of Chios produce the distinctively flavoured resin. The island's mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of villages, collectively known as the 'Mastichochoria', which are also located in the southern part of Chios.

Within the European Union, Mastic spice production in Chios is granted protected designation of origin (PDO) and a protected geographical indication (PGI) name.

(Source:   Wikipedia).

Memories of Paris on Ice

The only thing I remembered about the recipe was that it was made with evaporated milk, gelatine and almonds and it was flavoured with masticha.  

The name is a bit strange and have no idea why it was named Paris on Ice.   I presume the word ice was used because it is refrigerated and because the cream is white.

I tried to find the recipe online but unfortunately I had no luck in a google search.

I decided to recreate it on what I remembered and half way through, although this cream brought back nice memories when my mum used to make it, I decided to make a twist of my own.  

When the cream set she used to make a strawberry or cherry jelly and put it on top until the jelly would set as well.

We used to love this dessert when we were kids so I recreated my own recipe and giving it my own twist and I must admit it did remind me of that dessert but the addition of whipped cream, mixed with yoghurt and whipping the cream twice, gave it the airy feeling of a mousse.

Note:  This dessert is characterized by the flavour of evaporated milk, so it is preferable that you do not substitute with other milk.

Ingredients need to make Paris on Ice:

• Water
• Gelatin sheets
• Evaporated milk
• Blanched almonds
• Mastic gum tears
• Sugar
• Heavy cream
• Icing sugar
• Vanilla essence
• Greek yoghurt

How to make Paris on Ice:

1. Dissolve gelatine sheets with cold water until soft.
2. In a pot add the water, evaporated milk and bring to boil.  Add the gelatine, mixing until it dissolves.
3. Remove from the heat and set aside until it cools.    Refrigerate until it sets.
4. Meantime blanch the almonds and cut in smaller pieces by hand or in the food processor.
5. Pound the mastic resins with sugar and mix with the almonds.
6. Prepare the whipping cream. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence and when peaks form, add the yoghurt, mx and refrigerate.
7. Combine both creams and with the hand mixer whisk until fluffy and creamy and mix in the almonds and whisk until combined.
8. Refrigerate for a couple of hours again until it sets.

Serve with your favourite spoon sweet or coulis on top.

You may also serve it with:

Strawberry Coulis
Kiwi sauce
Caramelized apricots
Sour Cherries spoon sweet
Cherries spoon sweet

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,