Rich, simple and ever so autumnal...

Ingredients - serves 6 2 leaves of gelatine - soaked in a small amount of cold water 500ml Riverford double cream 100g unrefined Traidcraft golden caster sugar 1 vanilla pod split lengthways for the marinated fruits: 100g Essential sultanas 80g Essential raisins 20g mixed peel grated zest of an orange 3tbsp dark rum 100g Traidcraft golden caster sugar 50ml water

Method

First prepare the dried fruits as they need to marinate overnight to allow them to plump up in the syrup. Place water and sugar in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rum and pour over the dried fruits and zest. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave overnight.

Place double cream and sugar in a saucepan together with the split vanilla pod, (it will help if you scrape the tiny seeds from inside the pod to disperse into the cream), and heat slowly to just below boiling point, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add both the soaked gelatine leaves (without the soaking water) then stir continuously until the gelatine has disappeared. Allow to cool completely, then pop the bowl into the fridge for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to make sure vanilla seeds are distributed evenly through the cream - they will otherwise tend to sink to the bottom. Divide into individual moulds and leave to set for at least 4 hours.

Un mould by dipping bases in hot water then carefully turning out. Spoon rum-marinated fruits around the panacotta together with some of the syrup.