Panna Cota with strawberry sauce

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert .It is made by simmering together cream, milk, and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set.I followed Laura Vitale’s recipe and result was just superb.The dessert became the main course today 🙂 I made a simple vanilla Panna cota with home made strawberry sauce.Enjoy Learning !!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 Envelope of Unflavored Gelatin
• 2 Tbsp of Water
• 1 cup of Half and Half
• ½ cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
• ½ tsp of Lemon peel
• 2 Tbsp of Granulated Sugar
• For the Strawberry Sauce:
• 1 cup of Frozen Strawberries (Thawed) or fresh strawberries 
• 1 Tbsp of Sugar or more depending on your taste
• 1 tsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
• ½ tsp of Corn Starch mixed with 1 Tbsp of Water
  

Process:

•  Take water in a  small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin, set aside to soften.
• In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream, half and half, lemon zest and sugar, bring to a simmer ( the time when the mixture just start to boil, DO NOT BOIL ) over medium heat.
• Turn the heat off and add the gelatin mixture, whisk for a couple minutes or until the gelatin melts.
• Strain this mixture and add the vanilla extract to the strained mixture.
• Divide the mixture between three large ramekins or four small ones or wine glasses or anything of your choice.
• Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• To make the sauce:
•  Place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender and puree it. Strain it through a fine sieve and place the puree in a small saucepan.
• Bring the puree to a simmer and add the cornstarch mixture and cook stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and pour it in a small container and let it cool completely.
• To serve:
• Dip the bottom of each ramekin in a bowl of hot water for 10 seconds. Run a thin knife around the edges of the ramekin.
• Invert the panna cotta on a serving plate. Spoon some of the cooled sauce over the top and enjoy! Ting !!!!!

Queries ???

• What is half & half?
• Answer : Half-and-half, also known as half cream  is a simple blend of equal parts whole milk and cream. It averages 10 to 12% fat, which is more than milk but less than light cream. Due to its lower fat content than cream, it can’t be whipped. Half-and-half is best used when you want something richer than milk but not quite as heavy as cream.
• If you substitute with milk you wont get that rich flavor you want.