Ingredients

• 225ml/8fl oz water
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• handful lavender flowers
• 600ml/1 pint 1½fl oz double cream
• 50g/1¾oz vanilla sugar
• 1 orange
• zest only
• 2 tsp gelatine

Directions

• For the lavender flowers
• heat the water and caster sugar together in a pan.
• Stir until the sugar melts and then boil steadily
• so that the liquid can reduce a little.
• Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.
• When the sugar has cooled
• add the lavender flowers to the pan.
• For the panna cotta
• line six ramekins with cling film and place on a tray. Warm three quarters of the cream with the vanilla sugar and orange zest in a pan
• taking care not to boil the cream.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve into a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle the gelatine over two tablespoons of water until it becomes spongy. Heat very gently in a clean pan over a low heat until it dissolves.
• Add the cream mixture to the gelatine and take off the heat. Leave to cool.
• Softly whip the remaining cream and add the cream to the mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the lined ramekins and transfer to the fridge to chill.
• Chill for at least two hours until set.
• Turn the panna cotta out onto individual serving plates and drizzle the lavender syrup over them. Decorate with the sugary lavender flowers.