Panna Cotta with a Cherry Custard Sauce

I love Spring.. the color's as they unfold in my garden scapes, the beams of light as they come through my windows, the light breeze and the crispness of the air with the undetones of dry heat caressing my face. Have you ever heard of the term, "Prelude to a Kiss"? For me Spring is just that, something is just beyond the horizon, around the corner the unexpected.

This caramel topped Panna Cotta is a prelude to an experience with your senses. The texture of Panna Cotta is so creamy, it's smooth like yogurt but has a firm consistency like a flan. It's another one of those desserts that are versatile with the flavorings and toppings. In my Regional Italian Cookbook, the gelatin is diluted in Marsala before adding it to the heated cream. This is where I play with flavors. I did use Marsala here, but you can get so creative and use rose water, lavender essence, diluted honey or your favorite liqueur. If you are making chocolate flavored Panna Cotta I would add the cocoa to the cream and use water to dilute your gelatin. Have fun with it, taste, create, design.. but most of all enjoy!


PANNA COTTA

Ingredients
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise, seeds scraped
2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons *Marsala

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring the mixture just to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the *Marsala and let stand until evenly moistened, about 5 minutes.

3. Uncover the cream mixture and bring just to a simmer over moderately high heat. Remove from heat, add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Remove the vanilla bean and save for another use. Pour the panna cotta mixture into eight 4-ounce ramekins and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the panna cotta is set but still jiggly, at least 3 hours. Serve in the ramekins, with berries.

4. *If you do not have a preference for Marsala you can surely replace the liquid here with water or another liqueur of your choice.

Make Ahead
The panna cottas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. In my experience they firm up nicer after 12-24 hours.

When you make your caramel, don't get freaked out when you add your cream and it crystallizes.. keep stirring at medium low heat and the crystals will melt back into a creamy thick caramel. And the cherries in the caramel.. to die for!! This recipe was adapted from Epicureous and called for canned pumpkin but I subbed it with my own canned fruit choice. It worked wonderfully!
Ciao and Buon Appetito,
Laurie

Cherry Custard Sauce
adapted from Epicureous online

Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup canned pitted cherry pie filling
2 tsp. Sherry

Directions
Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until mixture is deep amber, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream. Mixture will bubble and crystallize. Stir until till crystal caramel bits dissolve, about 8 minutes. Add sherry to cherry filling. Add cherry filling to caramel; stir until heated. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)