The 4th of July is right around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, you want to be able to crack open a bottle of wine (or beer, or anything else) and enjoy the fireworks with minimal work involved.
Enter here your saving-grace dessert. One that is so impressive, classy, and downright perfect that it deserves to be made throughout the entire year.
Roasted strawberry puree swirls around the vanilla bean panna cotta for a simple and gorgeous dessert. Add on the fresh blueberry sauce that comes together in about 5 minutes flat? Bust out your cocktail dress and light a sparkler, because you’ve fooled everyone into thinking you slaved away on this one.
The most effort you will put into this will be the trip to the grocery store or farmers market.
I made this for a family that:
1) does not LOVE blueberries
2) is very picky about food texture
3) would choose potato chips over dessert any day of the week
Were the odds stacked against me? Yes.
The blueberry sauce is bursting with fresh blueberry taste.
The texture is similar to that of a very soft flan.
It is lacking in the salt-department.
The outcome? I. Am. A. Hero.
Everyone, and I mean everyone requested more.
It’s so easy and quick that I will gladly oblige.
Ready? Get moving.
You will need for 4 8-oz panna cotta, or 8 4-oz panna cotta:
1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons room temperature water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla pod, sliced lengthwise
1/2 lemon, zest peeled with large peeler
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Toss together the strawberries and 3 tablespoons sugar. Spread them onto a sheet pan lined with foil. Roast for 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a small saucepan, combine the gelatin and water. Let sit while we get the cream ready.
In another saucepan combine the cream, half and half, sugar, vanilla pod with seeds scraped into the pan, and pieces of lemon zest.
Bring just to a boil and remove from heat.
Warm the gelatin until melted, and whisk into the cream base.
In a blender, blend together the strawberries and juice from 1/2 of a lemon.
Ladle the cream base into your ramekins, followed by 3 tablespoons of strawberry puree drizzled over the top.
The strawberry will float and that is A-Okay! It will allow the smooth white cream to be the star, until you cut into the finished dessert with your spoon.
That’s my kind of surprise.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let these sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight until ready to serve.
When ready, get a small bowl of hot water, and place the ramekin in the water until it almost reaches the top. Using a paring knife, cut along the edges, and invert the ramekin onto a plate for serving.
For the blueberry sauce:
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon
In a saucepan combine all ingredients.
Cook for 5-10 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Strain for a smooth sauce, or leave blueberries for beautiful texture.
Oh and the 4th of July?
Well, this 100% works for that pool-side party you were planning.
See that cocktail to the right?
Don’t forget to grab that recipe here.