Blood Orange Mascarpone Panna Cotta

My winter survival strategy goes a little something like this: hibernate, obsessively check the sunrise and sunset calendar to track the slow lengthening of days, and eat all the blood oranges.

I buy blood oranges every time I see them at the store, but I love snacking on them so much that this is the first time all season that I've managed to use them for a blog recipe. I'm so used to having a supply of them around that when I turned to the fruit bowl the other day, ready to make this panna cotta, I was surprised to find there was only one orange left.

Luckily, that single fruit yielded just enough vibrant zest and sweet juice to lend the perfect amount of citrusy brightness to this panna cotta. If you're not familiar with panna cotta, it's like an eggless pudding. It couldn't be easier to make. The name means "cooked cream", but I'd hardly even call it cooking--the cream is warmed over low heat for less than five minutes, just long enough to dissolve the gelatin. For this recipe, the gelatin and cream are whisked with blood orange juice and mascarpone for an extra creamy, cheesecake-like finish. The panna cotta is sweetened with honey, which adds a floral note that plays nicely off the bright flavors of the orange juice and zest.

Make Your Own Butter (plus Maple Spice Compound Butter)

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher brought in cream and we all made butter together.  I loved it, and butter-making became a Thanksgiving tradition for me--every year I make my own butter and use a cookie cutter to make it into a turkey shape.  I've also made butter with my own students and their families several times, and I'm always surprised at how many parents don't know that you can easily make your own butter at home with just a jar and some heavy cream.

There is a bit of work involved, since you need to shake the jar like crazy for a while.  It's easy with a group because you can pass the jar to the next person if you get tired, but I can still get from cream to butter in 15 minutes or less when I'm the only one shaking.

Of course, there is an easier method: pour the cream into a big bowl and beat it with an electric mixer.  However, there's something really nice about doing it the old-fashioned way.

Patriotic Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis and Blueberries

Have you ever had panna cotta?  It's a really simple Italian dessert and its name means "cooked cream".  It comes out kind of like a cross between a flan and a vanilla pudding (read: delicious).

The first panna cottas I made were delicious, but a total fail aesthetically--there wasn't enough gelatin to unmold them in a shapely manner, and the fruit curds I layered in weren't helping at all.  But, this version is just as delicious and much nicer to look at.

Here I've paired panna cotta with a delicious raspberry coulis and some fresh blueberries for a special Fourth of July treat.  Panna cotta is also delicious on its own, or with chocolate sauce.  There are lots of other flavors of panna cotta that I'm dying to make (well, mainly mocha!) but that's all for another day.

For now, impress your friends with this elegant and easy Independence Day dessert!

Ingredients for the panna cotta (makes 4-6 servings; adapted from David Lebovitz):

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup 2 % milk (or use all cream)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons cold water
1 packet plain gelatin
Butter for greasing ramekins

Ingredients for the raspberry coulis (makes about 1 cup):

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon kirsch or framboise liqueur
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1 tablespoon cold water (optional)

For serving:

2 cups fresh blueberries

Place the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, and drop the pod in, too.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling.  Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture infuse for half an hour.

Lightly grease individual ramekins with a little butter if you're planning to unmold your panna cotta to serve (this is not necessary if you plan to serve it still in the cups).  If your molds hold half a cup, you will need four of them.  If they're smaller, you might be able to fill 5 or 6.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water.  Let it sit for about five minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the vanilla pod and heat the cream back up until hot.  Pour the mixture (through a sieve if desired) into the bowl with the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.  Divide the mixture among your molds and refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours before serving.  Panna cotta will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

To unmold, dip the bottom of each ramekin in hot water for ten seconds, run a thin knife around the edge, then invert onto a plate.

To make the raspberry coulis, place the raspberries, sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the mixture, discarding the solids, and stir in the liqueur and vanilla.  If you would like a thicker coulis, mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth.  Return the raspberry mixture to the saucepan, add the cornstarch paste, and bring to a boil while stirring constantly.  Cook and stir for one more minute, then remove from the heat.  Cool to room temperature before serving with panna cotta.  Store coulis in the refrigerator for up to one week or until ready to use.

To serve, invert the panna cotta onto a plate, surround with coulis, and sprinkle with fresh blueberries.