Panna cotta with Masticha (mastic resin)

Last week when my sister visited me from Cyprus, I wanted to make a dessert but since I’ve been trying to eat lighter, I decided to make something, not so “sinful”. I also wanted to use mastic gum, since I am hosting this month’s event Think Spice.. Think Twice: Fennel Seeds and Mastic Gum and a creamy dessert like panna cotta, would be perfect with mastic gum as I remembered my experimenting with gelatin, last year and using it in desserts.

Panna means cream (as in heavy cream!!) and cotta means cooked, so I decided to make a panna cotta but make it with less calories. I used 0% fat milk and low fat cream. I also reduced the amount of sugar from 1/2 cup to even less, as we added some sour cherry syrup on top.

The flavour was perfect and although not very “sinful” it still was delicious even with the low fat milk and cream and so easy to make.

Panna cotta flavoured with Mastic Gum

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 6 – 8

Ingredients

12 gelatin leaves
600 grams of milk 0% fat
400 grams cream 15% fat
(<) 1/2 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon powdered mastic gum
Sour cherry syrup

Directions:

Place the gelatin leaves in a container with enough water to cover them for 10 minutes.

In a sauce pan add the milk, cream, sugar and honey and mix. Heat the milk and add the gelatin leaves. Mix continuously until the gelatin leaves have dissolved. Add the mastic gum and when it starts boiling remove from the heat.

When it begins to cool, transfer into a mold or bowls and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.

Serve after 4 – 5 hours until it sets with your favourite syrup.

When introducing you to mastic gum I mentioned a lot of its qualities. I kept this one as a surprise. Mastic gum has been considered as an aphrodisiac for centuries not to mention millenia.

Here is an excerpt from a site on mastic gum:

….. Gum mastic increases the reaction of the immunization system.

It’s also used as an aphrodisiac, sexual stimulant.

Gum mastic can be used in lotion against sunburn because Masticha absorbs the Ultra-Violet rays.

It can also be used as a mild coffee additive…..

I am sending this recipe off to Chris, of Melecotte, who is hosting for another year an event dedicated to Valentine’s Day, named Kitchen of Love, where at least one ingredient must be aphrodisiac. In my recipe there are two ingredients as honey is also an aphrodisiac.

Since this is the month of sharing love come and share the love with us at BloggerAid. If you haven’t yet heard, we are publishing a cookbook. All we ask from you is to donate one of your original recipes which will be published in our Cookbook. All the profits of the Cookbook will go to the World Food Programme. The World Food Program is the largest humanitarian organization in the world and the United Nations’ frontline agency in the fight against hunger. We are very happy to announce that they have granted their full approval and have sent a formal statement of support for BloggerAid. You may read all about it here and here.

If you like gelatin desserts, you may also like the following:

Vanilla & Coconut Milk Panna cotta

Mastic Gum Yoghurt Dessert

Creamy Jelly Dessert

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,