Panna Cotta with Red Wine Syrup and Blueberries

Panna cotta is an italian dessert made by cooking cream, hence the name which literally translate to "cooked cream". This dessert is best served chilled and is perfect on a hot summer day.

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz, but I used crème fraiche instead of heavy cream.

Ingredients:
PANNA COTTA
2 cups crème fraiche
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp powdered gelatin
3 tbsp cold water

RED WINE SYRUP
1 cup red wine*
½ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pc cinnamon stick
*For the red wine, I recommend something sweet and fruity, like Pinotage. However there is no hard rule on choosing red wine for cooking.It is best to use whatever you enjoy drinking.

1 cup fresh blueberries


Direction:

Grease ramekins or cups with neutral-flavored oil. You can use canola, corn or vegetable oil. This is done if you wish to unmold your panna cotta before serving, otherwise, you do not need to grease the cups. Wine glasses are perfect to use if you do not want to unmold the panna cotta.

PANNA COTTA:

1. Bloom gelatin in a cold water. Set aside.
For tips on blooming gelatin, check this video.

2. Heat crème fraiche and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat when the sugar is completely dissolved.

3. Stir in vanilla extract.

4. Add cream mixture to the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cups or glasses.

6. Leave to set for 1 hour then cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or preferably overnight.

RED WINE SYRUP:

1. In a small saucepan, combine red wine and sugar.Add cinnamon stick. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved and thick bubbles appear. When the sauce has thickened and reduced to about half its original amount, remove from heat.

2. Add vanilla extract.

3. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.

To serve:
Unmold the chilled panna cotta by running a spatula or knife around the edge of the panna cotta, then dip the bottom of the cup into hot water for 1 minute to loosen the bottom. Place on a plate and serve with fresh blueberries and red wine syrup.

For panna cotta in wine glasses, top it with berries and syrup then serve.


Enjoy!