Karina's panna cotta, which Luka didn't believe she would succeed in making

Karim Merdjadi couldn't hide his excitement over the result. "I have to say I'm thrilled. It often happens that people overdo it with gelatin, but you made it just right and it's still creamy. I like that the panna cotta itself isn't too sweet, the caramel on top is really nice, the crumble plays a very nice role, it crunches and adds a little flavor. The ice cream was fantastic. You came up with such a dessert in your first cooking, what can we expect from you."

Mojmir Šiftar also joined in the praise. "It seems that all of your sports activities in life are paying off, well done." The fact that Karin presented all the elements of her plate to the judges surprised Luka Jezeršek in particular. "During the first round, I didn't believe that you would manage to cram everything into these 45 minutes, but now I'm tasting such a bomb. Top."

Karin eventually beat Gulnaz with a dessert and took fourth place on the balcony. She did not hide her pride and joy at her success. "I am very proud of myself. Ever since I signed up, now that I have reached the balcony and I have succeeded, I am even happier and I am on the right track. I can't believe I made it up there, I am so happy," Karin admitted after her victory.

Karin ended her first cooking show on MasterChef Slovenia in the best possible way. For anyone who would like to recreate her dessert at home, don't miss the recipe below.

Ingredients

For the coffee panna cotta

- 250 g sweet cream - 250 g milk - 3 sheets of gelatin - 18 g coffee beans - 35–40 g sugar - salt

Pour cold water into a bowl and soak the gelatine for about 5–10 minutes, or until it softens. Add the sugar, heavy cream, milk, coffee beans and salt to the bowl and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the gelatine from the water and add each leaf individually to the panna cotta mixture. Cool the panna cotta to room temperature, strain and pour into glasses. Makes about four servings. Place in the fridge for about 5–6 hours.

For the Christmas spice ice cream:

- 250 g sweet cream - 250 g milk - 4 egg yolks - 70 g sugar - 2 tablespoons honey - 3 teaspoons spice mixture

Pour the milk and heavy cream into a saucepan, add the spices and heat the mixture until it boils. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place them in a bowl. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and mix well. When the mixture of cream, milk and spices is warm, slowly pour it into the egg yolks while stirring constantly. Add the honey to the mixture. Pour everything back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir the mixture all the time. Cook until it starts to thicken and reaches 82 C. You can also check the readiness with a thermometer. When you run your finger along the back of the thermometer, a clear line should remain, beyond which the base does not flow. Strain the ice cream base through a strainer. Cool it to room temperature and pour it into an ice cream maker. It is even better if you leave the base in the refrigerator overnight beforehand.

For the spice mix

- 3 teaspoons of ginger powder - 3 teaspoons of cinnamon powder - 1 teaspoon of allspice powder - 1 teaspoon of nutmeg powder - 1 teaspoon of clove powder

For the caramel

- 150 g sugar - 160 g sweet cream - 25 g butter - a pinch of salt (optional)

Pour the sugar into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it boils. Keep an eye on the caramel as it cooks, as it can burn quickly. When the caramel is golden brown or amber, add the hot heavy cream and stir well. All the sugar crystals must melt, otherwise they will remain in the caramel even after the cream is added. Finally, gradually add the butter and mix it well into the caramel. Cover the caramel with cling film and place in the fridge.

For the coffee crumble

- 55 g cold butter - 60 g sugar - 80 g flour - a pinch of salt - 1 teaspoon ground coffee

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Mix the flour, coffee, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the cold butter, cut into cubes, and knead it into the dry ingredients with your hands. Once the ingredients are combined and the butter is completely combined with the dry ingredients, spread the mixture on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for about 10–12 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown. Cool the crumble.

Layout

Add caramel to the panna cotta in a glass and spread it over the entire surface. If the caramel is too hard from the refrigerator, warm it slightly in the microwave or on a stove. Sprinkle coffee crumble on top. Add ice cream to the dessert if desired or serve it on an additional plate.

MasterChef Slovenia! Follow the intense test of cooking skills every week from Monday to Thursday at 8:00 PM on POP TV.