This was the first holiday season spent cooking for friends and family. In the time between Ray's birthday in November to now, we have cooked over 10 full meals, ranging from small dinner parties of 6 to large groups of 20+ people (hence my multiple daily posts after each holiday). The biggest task is coming up with recipes that suite each group's tastes, with the most challenging being family and desserts. Asian families just don't like American desserts and serving any form of chocolate will guarantee that the dessert will stay on the table, untouched. I've learned my lesson with my family, now only sticking to the more familiar sweets like cream puffs, strawberry chiffon cake and panna cotta.
I tried panna cotta on one other occasion and found that recipe to be too sweet and creamy. This recipe uses buttermilk to add a necessary level of acidity to cut the creaminess. I also steeped the cream mixture in toasted coconut for additional flavor. As I was making this for my family's Christmas lunch, I opted to serve the panna cotta in wine glasses for a prettier and more manageable presentation.
Buttermilk-Coconut Panna Cotta
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Macerated berries (blackberries, sugar, balsamic vineger)
Toasted coconut
Directions:
Add 2 tablespoons water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
Heat cream, sugar and coconut flakes in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.
Increase heat and bring just to low boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and cover the mixture to allow the coconut flavors to infuse into the milk. Strain mixture to remove the coconut. Reheat the cream and add gelatin mixture; remove from heat. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Cool mixture to lukewarm, stirring often. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla; divide mixture among prepared ramekins or glasses.
Refrigerate panna cotta until set, about 4 hours. Top with berries and toasted coconut and serve chilled.
My family really enjoyed the panna cotta and I definitely prefer this tangy version to the cream-only recipe from last time. Some variations to try for next time: steeping the milk in herbs like basil and lemongrass, different toppings like mango, more gelatin for a firmer consistency.