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Chai panna cotta with warm marmalade custard

The chai and marmalade give this simple, no-bake dessert a rich set of complementary flavors.

Ingredients

2 cups of coconut milk, 1/2 cup reserved
2T of agave nectar
1T of white miso
1T of agar
4 bags of chai tea*
1/2t of cinnamon
1/4t of cloves
Additional agave to taste
3T of marmalade (I use a seville marmalade)**
1t of arrowroot powder whisked with 2t of water

For the panna cotta, bring the coconut milk to a light boil (you won’t need a lid).
Add the coconut milk, miso, agar, agave, cloves and cinnamon.
Stir thoroughly to combine.
Add the tea bags.
Simmer lightly for 15 – 20 minutes to dissolve the agar.
Aim to reduce the liquid to around one heaping cup.
Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes.
Remove and gently squeeze the tea bags.
Stir, and pour into two ramekins and cool uncovered for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Cover and chill at least 4 hours to setup.

When ready to serve, heat the 1/2 cup of coconut milk on medium in a small sauce pan.
Reduce by about 1/3.
Turn out the panna cotta from the ramekins carefully.
Add the marmalade.
Stir until dissolved.
Whisk the arrowroot with water.
Add slowly to the marmalade mixture, stirring continuously until thickened.
Spoon the custard over the panna cotta.

*The quality of the tea is what makes this dish. Choose one you like with a good balance of spices.

**If you don’t keep marmalade on hand, a little vanilla extract (1t) and some agave nectar (2T) will give you a nice vanilla custard instead. In that case, use 2t of arrowroot to compensate for the other binders in the marmalade. And just a reminder that some sugar is bleached using animal bone charcoal. Organic sugar is typically unbleached.