Both of these recipes taste delicious separately and even better together. They each have a lovely sweet-tart balance, neither overpowering. The panna cotta can be served plain, with any compote or fresh berries and is good any time of year. The compote is great mixed into yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, you name it. If blueberries aren’t in season, you can absolutely use frozen.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Buttermilk Panna Cotta
- 1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 ½ cups (347 grams) heavy cream
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (338 grams) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberry Compote
- 2 cups (284 grams) fresh blueberries, divided
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (59 grams) water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Make the Panna Cotta
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand until it softens, about 5 minutes.
- Heat the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the gelatin and still over low heat until it dissolves. Remove from heat, strain with a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla, stirring to combine. Divide the mixture evenly into ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. Panna cotta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make the Compote
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of blueberries with the sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer until the blueberries start to pop, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of blueberries and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- In a small bowl, make a slurry with the lemon juice and cornstarch, mixing well and then adding to the blueberry mixture. Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature or stash in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Assemble the Dessert
- Unmold each panna cotta by dipping the bottom of the ramekin into very hot water for 10 seconds to jiggle loose. Flip onto a serving plate and drizzle with compote. Serve.
