By Ellen Easton

Valentine’s Day is synonymous with roses.  For a cream free, no lactose and gluten-free indulgence. While not a creamy consistency as in a Panna Cotta, this Vanilla Coconut Rose infused Gel is sure to please your sweet tooth guilt free. 

Vanilla Coconut Rose Gel

Serves 4. Approx: 75 calories per serving.

Ingredients

• 2- Cups Nonfat Lactaid Milk
• 1 small package of Knox Gelatin
• 1- teaspoon Rose Water
• 1- teaspoon Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• 2- Tablespoons Coconut Flakes*

*I use Bakers Angel Flake; Garnish- Edible Rosebuds, available from http://Flowerpottea.com

Directions

• Place the first four ingredients into a saucepan. 
• Heat over a low flame until the gelatin is dissolved.
• Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins.
• Sprinkle shredded coconut flakes into the mixture.
• Cover with plastic wrap.  Set in the refrigerator for two hours or until mixture is firm.
• When ready to serve remove from ramekin by turning over onto a place. 
• You may use the tip of a sharp knife around the edges to loosen. Decorate with edible rosebuds. 

This recipe can be adjusted to accommodate any flavors of your choice. Substitute extracts and spices accordingly.  Fresh fruit may be placed on the bottom of the ramekin or on top for additional text

Text and photos ©Ellen Easton

Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions(RED WAGON PRESS), an afternoon tea authority, lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included the Waldorf=Astoria, the Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.