Panna Cotta

This dessert is beautiful and simple. I love to impress people with it’s elegance. It means “cooked cream” in Italian and it is truly that easy.

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz each)
2 T cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup ½ and ½
1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tspns good vanilla

Lightly spray 8 ramikins with cooking spray. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and stir gently. While your waiting for your gelatin to bloom, combine cream, half and half and sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to just barely boil over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat and add a ½ cup or so of the warm cream to the gelatin, then a bit more, stirring as you go. Add the gelatin mixture to the pan of warm cream. This should temper the mixtures so that do not seize up on you. Stir in the vanilla, then divide the mixture into your ramikins. Easy, huh? Let cool to room temperature (at least a half hour)before covering with plastic wrap (make certain the wrap is touching the cream mixture lightly on top so that it does not form a film) and place in the refridgerator for at least 4 hours.


The Berry Lemon Sauce is simply your favorite berry jam (I use my own that I make in the summer) and a bit of fresh lemon juice to thin to the consistency of a thick sauce. Simple as that.


To serve, dip your ramikins, one at a time, in hot water for 30 seconds and loosen edge of Panna Cotta with a butter knife, lifting a bit, then invert on a dessert plate. Drizzle with sauce and few fresh berries if you’ve got them.