If you’re like me and you don’t excel at making desserts (no shame in that), a panna cotta can be a person’s best friend.
Positive attributes of a panna cotta include, but are not limited to: being easy to make in advance, a blank canvas to add your favourite flavours to and it is quite a lovely word to say out loud.
Jokes aside, my take on panna cotta incorporates sour cream for a bit of tang, which gives it a kind-quite-put-your-finger-on-it flavour that your friends will love. For the topping, dried saskatoon berries come alive wonderfully when rehydrated in a mixture of currant wine, brown sugar and butter. Add some locally-grown pear if you can get your hands on any remaining cellared stock, otherwise feel free to leave it out.
Sour Cream Panna Cotta With Stewed Fruit
Ingredients
Sour Cream Panna Cotta
- 2 tsp gelatin
- 1 cup homogenized milk
- 2 cups heavy (35%) cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Stewed Fruit
- 1/2 cup dried Saskatoon berries (or dried cranberries or dried blueberries)
- 1/4 cup Living Sky Winery currant wine (or similar fruit wine)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced Bartlett pears
Instructions
Sour Cream Panna Cotta:
- Place gelatin and milk in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Place the cream, sour cream, vanilla and sugar in a medium pot and bring to a near-simmer over medium-high heat (you're looking for the liquid to be steaming, but not bubbling). Add milk and gelatin mixture to the pot and whisk until completely dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Spray the interior of six small 6 oz. ramekins with cooking spray or dab a paper towel in some canola oil and rub interiors to coat them.
- Evenly ladle the hot liquid to the ramekins, leaving about ½-inch of space from the lip. Refrigerate and let panna cottas set, approximately 4 hours.
Stewed Fruit:
- Place the berries, wine, brown sugar, and butter in a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce to low heat and cook until berries soften considerably and the liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Add the pears and cook for several more minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Assembly:
- Take panna cottas out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving to allow them to warm up slightly (this will result in a smoother, creamier texture). Place a generous spoonful of stewed fruit over top of each and serve.