CREATIVE KITCHEN

MANAGEMENT

Lavender Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce, plated with berries,

biscuit crumb, and sugar decoration

The Story So Far

The dish called Lavender Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce, garnished with berries and biscuit
crumb, highlights the meaning of a high-end culinary experience by experimenting, being
precise, and using artistic styles. Drawn from classic French cooking and contemporary
presentation, this dessert is a reflection of the growing skill to pair floral hints with stronger
citrus flavors. The addition of lavender gives the classy but simple panna cotta a new
perspective, since the lavender flavor has to be used wisely to achieve a good taste.

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Lemon sauce allows you to experience the creamy panna cotta with acidity, making it more
vibrant and interesting. Having fresh berries and biscuit crumb in the recipe gives the pie many
flavors and textures and makes it attractive to see and eat. Adding sugar decoration to a dessert
underlines dedication to creating impressive, sophisticated desserts.

It displays the cook’s knowledge gained from cooking in restaurants and studying in schools
such as how to match flavors, maintain uniform quality, plate food well and manage ingredients.
It includes gaining insight into how ingredients and methods make a dish speak volumes by
mixing traditions, unique touches and elegance.

Background Research

Background

Lavender Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce, served with berries, biscuit crumb, and sugar
decoration, pays homage to the classic European practice of serving panna cotta. The smooth and
creamy texture allows for great flavours to be easily combined. Because of its relaxing scent,
lavender gives this dish a fresh, modern feeling (Jigău et al. 2023). Inserting edible flowers into
treats is aligned with modern serving practices and makes food look much more elegant for
upper-class service.

Flavour Pairings

A lemon dish with lavender can be enjoyable as the intense lavender is matched with the acidity
of the lemon (Zaenal et al. 2024) . The panna cotta texture is improved by the lemon sauce which
sharpens and enhances the flavors. Fresh berries balance the sweetness and tartness found in
oranges and flowers. The crunch of biscuits contrasts nicely with the simpler flavors. Each item
added to the meal is meant to ensure the meal gives a balanced taste, texture and appearance
(Hafshoh et al. 2024).

Inspiring Websites

Modern ways to serve meals and match flavours are shared on Great British Chefs, Pinterest and
the Michelin Guide website. The desserts are flavored with flowers and often paired with citrus,
giving a special touch to their designs. Their videos create attractive looks that meet the high
standards at The Chef’s Table (Ungerer 2024).

Dish Design & Development

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Plans and Ideas

The idea behind Lavender Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce served with berries, biscuit crumb and
sugar decoration was to offer patrons a refined-looking, flavour-balanced item on the fine-dining
menu. The food includes both old and new ways of cooking, stressing how it looks, when it’s
prepared and the arrangement of flavors (Szczygłowska 2021) instead.. The aroma from the
lavender soothes and adds a calming and petal-like scent to the drink. It adds a touch of tanginess
to the creamy sweetness of the panna cotta and brings more color to the dish.

Adding crumbs from a biscuit helps to change the texture of your panna cotta by giving it a
crunchy quality. For their endearing look and natural sweetness, berries are a nice choice,
matching the current season and making the plate look more attractive. The sugar centrepiece
highlights the baker’s talent and makes the cake more visually appealing. This recipe aims to
reflect the standards in fine dining, clinging to the saying that everything served must have a
good texture, a tasty flavor, and an appealing look.

Development Sessions

Session 1: Initial Trials

● 10–15 minutes of steeping lavender lets you gauge the intensity of the lavender flavor in
the cream. A 12-minute brewing process gives a pleasing scent while still providing a
gentle flavor.
● It develops a smooth texture, but the gelatin is changed slightly to give the panna cotta
more firmness.
● After making the lemon sauce and testing it, it appears thin and easily runs off the panna
cotta.
● A bit of cornstarch is included to help the sauce become thicker and not break down.
● First, add berries and some crumbled biscuits on the plate to enhance the look and feel of
the salad.
● Sugar decoration uses basic caramel strands, even though they lack well-defined
structure.

Session 2: Refinement of Components

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 ● For thicker lemon sauce, cornstarch should first be activated in a slurry and blended in
with the hot lemon mixture.
● Various butter-to-flour ratios are tested with biscuit crumb and a higher amount of butter
helps the crumb stick together without becoming greasy.
● Driftwood arrangements are shifted from one side to another until both sides appear the
same.
● Sugar decorations look better by using a silpat mat to shape the cooled sugar into
different forms.
● The panna cotta is cooked again, with very little lavender remaining so it’s even
smoother.

Session 3: Final Adjustments

● Panna cotta turns out light, yet solid, with an even taste of lavender.
● After the lemon sauce cools, it is poured onto the panna cotta, retaining its shape nicely.
● A layer of crushed biscuit and berries is arranged in a circular form to improve both the
look and stability of the dessert.
● Deliveries of the dessert include sugar decorations shaped as elegant lattices which are
still crisp when served.
● All the elements are put on the plate for service simulation, following fine dining
standards to ensure a harmonious result of taste and texture.

Recipes and Technical Sheets

Tested Recipe and Production Method Table

Dish Name: Lavender Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce, plated with berries, biscuit crumb, and
sugar decoration

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY (For 10 portions)

Panna Cotta

Double cream 500 ml

Whole milk 250 ml

Caster sugar 100 g

Dried lavender flowers 1 tbsp

Gelatin powder 10 g

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Cold water (to bloom gelatin) 50 ml

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Lemon Sauce

Fresh lemon juice 150 ml

Lemon zest Zest of 1 lemon

Caster sugar 100 g

Cornstarch 1 tbsp

Water (to mix cornstarch) 2 tbsp

Biscuit Crumb

Digestive biscuits (crushed) 150 g

Unsalted butter (melted) 60 g

Brown sugar 20 g

Garnishes

Fresh raspberries 20 (2 per portion)

Fresh blueberries 30 (3 per portion)

Sugar decorations 10 (1 per portion)

Edible flower petals (optional) 10

PRODUCTION METHOD

MISE EN PLACE

● Weigh and prepare all ingredients.

● Bloom the gelatin powder in cold water for 10 minutes.
● Crush biscuits and melt butter for the crumb.
● Wash and prepare berries.
● Prepare sugar decorations in advance using caramelised sugar.

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COOKING / PREPARATION

Lavender Panna Cotta:

● In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar, and lavender.

● Heat over medium heat until steaming; do not boil.
● Steep for 12 minutes and then strain to remove lavender.
● Return to heat, add vanilla extract and bloomed gelatin, stirring until dissolved.
● Pour into silicone moulds and chill for at least 4 hours until fully set.

Lemon Sauce:

● In a small saucepan, combine lemon juice, zest, and sugar. Bring to a simmer.
● Mix cornstarch with cold water to form a slurry.
● Add slurry to the saucepan, stir continuously until sauce thickens.
● Let cool completely before serving.

Biscuit Crumb:

● Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter and brown sugar.

● Spread mixture on a tray and bake at 160°C for 10 minutes.
● Cool and break into crumbs.

Sugar Decoration:

● Melt sugar in a dry pan until golden brown.

● Use a spoon to drizzle shapes onto parchment or molds.
● Let harden completely and store in a dry container.

PRESENTATION & SERVICE

● Unmold panna cotta onto the plate slightly off-center.

● Spoon lemon sauce gently over or around the panna cotta.
● Scatter biscuit crumb around the base in an artistic ring.
● Place berries around the panna cotta for colour and freshness.
● Add sugar decoration leaning over the panna cotta.
● Garnish with edible flowers if desired.

FOOD SAFETY & HACCP

Critical Point Control Measure

Dairy storage Store milk and cream below 5°C until use

Gelatin use Fully bloom in cold water and dissolve completely

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Sugar work Handle hot sugar with care to prevent burns

Fruit hygiene Wash all berries in cold water before service

Storage of finished product Keep panna cotta refrigerated at or below 5°C until service

Cross-contamination control Use separate equipment for raw and ready-to-eat ingredients

Dish Costing Table

Ingredient Purchase Unit Unit Cost (£) Quantity Used Cost

(£)

Double cream 1 litre 2.40 500 ml 1.20

Whole milk 2 litres 1.80 250 ml 0.23

Caster sugar 1 kg 1.50 100 g 0.15

Dried lavender flowers 50 g 2.00 1 tbsp (~2g) 0.08

Gelatin powder 100 g 3.00 10 g 0.30

Vanilla extract 38 ml 2.50 1 tsp (5 ml) 0.33

Lemon juice (fresh) 5 lemons (500 1.50 150 ml 0.45

ml)

Lemon zest 1 lemon included above zest of 1 lemon -

Cornstarch 500 g 1.20 1 tbsp (~10 g) 0.02

Water - - 2 tbsp -

Digestive biscuits 400 g 1.00 150 g 0.38

Unsalted butter 250 g 2.00 60 g 0.48

Brown sugar 500 g 1.20 20 g 0.05

Raspberries 125 g punnet 2.50 20 pcs (~80 g) 1.60

Blueberries 125 g punnet 2.00 30 pcs (~90 g) 1.44

Sugar (for decoration) 1 kg 1.50 50 g 0.08

Edible flower petals (opt.) Small pack 3.00 10 pieces 0.80

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 TOTAL INGREDIENT £7.89
COST

Portion and Pricing Calculations

Calculation Value

Cost per portion (10 portions) £7.89 ÷ 10 = £0.79

Target Gross Profit Margin (GPM) 65%

Selling Price (ex. VAT) £0.79 ÷ 0.35 = £2.26

VAT @ 20% £2.26 × 0.20 = £0.45

Selling Price (inc. VAT) £2.71

Recommended Market Price £2.95

Allergen Checklist

Allergens Present:

● Gluten: Present in the digestive biscuit crumb (wheat flour).

● Milk: Present in cream, milk, butter, and biscuits.

Plating Presentation

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References
JIGĂU, A., IMBREA, F. and PAȘCALĂU, R., 2023. NEW TRENDS AND
PARTICULARITIES OF LAVENDER CULTURE. Research Journal of Agricultural Science,
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Hafshoh, A.Q.A. and Kahdar, K., 2024. Pengaplikasian Teknik Makrame Pada Busana Lingerie
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Ungerer, J.T., 2024. Grow, Gather, Heal: Lemon Balm For Everyday Wellness: A Deep Dive
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