Panna Cotta

In my ultimate dessert land, way up there, somewhere right next to Fresh Fruit Tart is a space reserved just for Panna Cotta. I love everything about Panna Cotta- the silky smooth texture, the creamy taste, the coolness as it touches your mouth, the way it looks so inviting on the plate contrasted with the berries it's usually paired with. Panna Cotta is an Italian jello of sorts. It's made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing that with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. If you've never tasted Panna Cotta, ordered it from a menu, or made it yourself, I suggest you try the following recipe and see for yourself how delicious this dessert is and how simple it is to make.

Panna Cotta (makes 4-5 1/2 c. ramekins)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.
In a large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate.

(serving suggestion: in a small bowl, combine berries (or fruits) of your choice 1/8 cup of granulated sugar. Stir and let sit for at least 30 minutes. When serving panna cotta, spoon some of the berries over and around it.)