The Teahouse Offers an Alternative to the Traditional Milk and Cookies for Santa

With a wink and a nudge, this dessert from Vancouver’s Teahouse is perfect for santa’s midnight stocking stuffing.

Spiked Milk Panna Cotta With Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 6 servings

Panna Cotta

Ingredients

4 gelatin sheets or 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder, bloomed

½ cup brandy

½ cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2½ cups 2 per cent milk

½ cup 10 per cent milk (half-and-half)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon salt

Store-bought cookies in a tube shape

Method

Place 6 tumblers or rocks glasses on a tray and put in the fridge to chill.

Bloom gelatin according to the package directions.

Prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to fit the saucepan you are using.

In a small saucepan, add brandy, sugar, and the scraped-out vanilla bean with the empty pod or the vanilla extract. Start to cook out some of the alcohol from the brandy. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, then continue to simmer for about 3–5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the 2 per cent milk, full amount of the 10 per cent milk, ground cinnamon, and salt. Bring back to a simmer, whisking occasionally.

Remove from heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and whisk to disperse.

Add remaining 2 per cent milk to help cool the mixture and suspend the vanilla beans so they do not sink to the bottom. Place the saucepan in the ice bath and continue to whisk to cool the mixture for a few minutes until it starts to thicken.

Strain the mixture to remove the vanilla pod and any pulp.

Pour the panna cotta mixture into the chilled glasses equally. A kitchen scale will help or do it by eye.

Place the store-bought tube-shaped cookies in the glass to resemble a straw. Place in the fridge to allow the gelatin to fully set.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients 

1 cup butter, soft/room temperature

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups milk chocolate chips

Maldon salt or granular salt for garnish

Method

With a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar starting on low for a few minutes. Increase to medium speed until butter and sugar become homogeneous.

Scrape down the sides using a rubber spatula, set the speed to low again, and add eggs one at a time. Only add the second egg after the first one is fully incorporated. Once the second egg is added, add the vanilla extract and continue to mix until it is incorporated as well.

Scrape down the sides again and continue to mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. This step is important to make sure the sugar is dissolved and no longer granular; creaming also adds air, which gives a lighter texture to these cookies.

Add lour, salt, and baking soda; start the mixer on low to prevent the flour from mixing out of the bowl. Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined into the butter-sugar mixture. O,do only

Scrape the sides once again, then add the chocolate chips with the mixer on low. Again, continue to mix only until the chocolate chips are dispersed evenly.

Portion the cookie dough about 2 inches from each other on a parchment-lined baking sheet. One cookie is about 2 tablespoons. Once all the dough is portioned, place the cookies in the fridge for about an hour to firm up. This is an important step: if you put them straight into the oven while the dough is soft, they will spread too much during the bake.

After the cookies have chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F and sprinkle Maldon salt on top of each cookie. Bake for 8–10 minutes. Slightly underbake: the bottom edges should be golden brown, and the tops should be soft to the touch before taking the cookies out of the oven. The residual heat from the baking sheet will finish off the baking process.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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