Big Birthday Love & Luscious Lemon Panna Cotta Trifle

Wow. Fifty two weeks since we first started this conversation. Wow.

Back in the day when Hunger & Haw Hai was a wee baby I made a mental note that if the blog made it to the one year mark I’d knock your socks off with a Sally-Field’s-at-the-Oscars style speech. My other options were a sappy song or poem that seemed like it’d been slapped together by a pre-schooler. But thirty posts, half a dozen published features, and over twenty five thousand hits later and, seriously, I’m sort of speechless.

All I can say is the whole experience has been incredibly humbling.

Piecing the first post together, one of my deepest, darkest fears was that no one would be interested in reading my ramblings. It’s something that still gives me sleepless nights - really, you never know when you’re going to piss people off, right - but I’ve been ludicrously lucky so far.

Believe me, this blog would’ve been a total bust without an amazingly awesome audience and you all are absolutely unbelievable! Bravo, boys and girls! You are beyond brave and seven kinds of super cool. I salute your senses of humor and I’m proud of your patience! Big bear hugs to each and every one of you for stopping by, sassing it up, luring me into letting go of my lazies and making me feel far less misunderstood.

I’m all over the entire moon and my therapist will be thrilled! Two birds…BOO-YAH!!!

So from the bottom of my babbling heart, I love you much, my lovelies. And as always, nothing great goes down at Hunger & Haw Hai without a helping of my *HAPPY DANCE*!

XOXO

My Lemon Panna Cotta & Mulled Strawberry Trifle was first featured in HELLO! Pakistan’s anniversary issue and since we’re celebrating it seemed to fit the occasion perfectly. Panna Cotta, which literally translates to “cooked cream”, is a classic Italian custard. On it’s own, it’s an incredibly indulgent dessert, but when silky smooth panna cotta is sandwiched between syrup soaked strawberries and pillows of soft sponge cake, I swear, it’s an other-wordly experience. 

Lemon Panna Cotta & Mulled Strawberry Trifle (6 individual servings)
Adapted from Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis, by Danny Boome

Ingredients Lemon Panna Cotta & Mulled Strawberry Trifle

Mulled Strawberries

¼ kg strawberries, hulled and sliced

¾ cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lemon Panna Cotta

4 cups cream

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

2 small lemons, juiced

1 loaf Pound Cake, sliced

TIP: If you’re planning on making a multi-tier trifle just remember that the first layer of the trifle needs to set before the second layer can be assembled so, it’s best to prepare this dessert a day before you plan to serve. Simply prepare the Panna Cotta in two batches by dividing the ingredients in half and only cooking the second batch once the first layer is set.

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, orange juice, sugar and lemon juice. Cover and chill in the fridge.

In a medium saucepan, over a medium heat, gently heat the cream.

Sprinkle the gelatin and sugar into the cream and stir gently until the sugar and gelatin have dissolved.

Add the lemon juice and grated zest and simmer the cream gently for 10 minutes. This allows the lemon to infuse the cream with a bright citrus flavor.

Once the cream has thickened slightly, remove from the heat.

In a glass tumbler, spoon in an inch of sliced strawberries, pressing down to flatten them slightly. Top with a slice of Pound cake. Finally, pour in 1 inch of the Panna Cotta cream. Place in the fridge for 4-6 hours, until set.

Serve chilled.