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This black tea soy milk panna cotta is a light and creamy dessert that you can make ahead for entertaining and hosting. It sets up in the refrigerator overnight, and is very easy to serve the next day. I developed this recipe for a Chinese-themed meal, but it is perfect for any time you need a vegetarian or vegan friendly dessert. I’m topping the panna cotta with candied orange peel and candied pistachios. This smooth panna cotta is very customizable. You can change the flavor by using another tea (such as Earl Grey or Matcha), or you could change up the toppings however you like.

Equipment

1 Kitchen scale Preferably with 0.1 g precision

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

500 g unsweetened plain soy milk
1 black tea bag
0.8 g agar agar powder no sugar added
28 g granulated sugar

Candied Pistachios

35 g shelled pistachios
7 g granulated sugar

Candied Orange Peel

1 orange with thick skin you only need the peel
120 ml water to make sugar syrup
200 g granulated sugar plus extra for coating

Instructions

Panna Cotta

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the soy milk to 170°F. Remove from the heat, and steep the tea in the soy milk for 20 minutes. Remove the tea bag, squeezing out the bag to extract all the flavor.
Add the agar agar and the granulated sugar to the pot with the flavored soy milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches a rolling boil.
Immediately strain the soy milk to remove any film that develops. Pour the panna cotta mixture into individual glasses. Chill, uncovered (to prevent condensation), overnight.

Candied Pistachios

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pistachios and the granulated sugar. Cook while stirring to ensure that the sugar is evenly distributed. Continue cooking until the sugar is mostly melted and the pistachios are golden.
Pour the nuts onto a sheet tray covered with parchment paper. Very carefully separate the nuts from one another. They will be very hot. Disposable kitchen gloves can help with this. You can also leave the nuts unseparated if you prefer. Let the nuts harden.

Candied Orange Peel

Quarter the orange and remove the peel from the flesh of the fruit. You will only need one or two of the quarters of the peel. You will not need the fruit itself.
Using a sharp knife, very carefully remove the white part (this pith) from the orange part of the peel. Remove as much as possible to remove bitterness from the peel.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. I use the same pot that I used for the panna cotta. Drop the peel into the pot. Boil one minute. Pour the contents of the pot through a strainer (pour out the water in the pot). Rinse the peel under cold water.
Repeat the previous step two more times. In total, you will boil the peel three times. This removes the bitterness from the peel.
Rinse out your pot. Combine the water and the sugar in the pot. Bring to a boil.
While the sugar syrup is coming to a boil, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the peels. The thinner the better.
Once the sugar syrup has reached a boil, drop the slices of orange peel into the syrup. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot to ensure your syrup doesn't boil away and you don't burn the peels.
While the peels are simmering, get ready to coat the peels in granulated sugar. Fill a small dish with granulated sugar, deep enough to toss the peels in. Also, set a cooling rack over a sheet tray.
One the peels are done poaching, remove the peels from the syrup. Quickly toss them in the granulated sugar. Then place the candied peels, separated from one another, on a the cooling rack. Let harden overnight.

Assembly

The next day, when you are ready to serve dessert, remove the panna cotta glasses from the refrigerator. Top each panna cotta with a nest of candied orange peel and a few candied pistachios.

Black Tea Soy Milk Panna Cotta