No Bake | Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries … lighter & gluten free | dessert for someone you l♥v

“If music be the food of love, play on.”
Shakespeare

Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries … dessert for someone you l♥v, or dessert for someone who loves dessert! Panna cotta, or cooked cream, is one of the quickest Italian desserts you can make. Minimum fuss, quick to make, do ahead and divinely delicious, a winner every single time.

The tempting option of going a teeny bit healthy on a cream dessert, yet keeping it indulgent, is perhaps worth the bait! I’ve done a Berries & Buttermilk Puddng in the past, so the idea of a buttermilk panna cotta was going to be worth every delicious spoonful! Delightful tangy undertones, a gentle wobbly set cream, smooth vanilla overtures…what more can you ask for? Pretty darned good as it is, you can take it a step higher with luscious red strawberries as topping. Use any seasonal berries for that matter, or fruit like figs too. A salted butter caramel sauce would be really nice as well.

If you have the time, gently simmer strawberries to make a balsamic strawberry topping. And if time is not your friend that day, simply macerate the berries in castor sugar and a dash of lime juice, or maybe just toss them in honey. It adds a nice sweet touch to the fruit while making it shiny and attractive to top the panna cotta.

The colour contrast weaves a magic spell. What’s not to love about red and white? And what’s not to love about strawberries and cream. AND what’s not to love about make ahead, fuss free dessert? Go on, take the plunge! Spoil those you love on V Day with this gorgeous Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries.

Oh yes, and make sure you get them to do the dishes! Share some love!!

[print_this]Recipe: Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries  

Summary: Delightful tangy undertones, a gentle wobbly set cream, smooth, vanilla overtures…what more could you ask for in a Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic. This must be the quickest make ahead dessert ever! It’s a great Valentines Day dessert too.

Serves 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

• Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
• 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp gelatin
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 300ml low fat cream
• 150g vanilla sugar {or Castor sugar}
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
• 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped
• 450ml cultured buttermilk

• Balsamic Strawberries
• 200g strawberries, chopped
• 30g brown sugar
• 15ml balsamic vinegar
• 15ml honey

Method:

1. Panna Cotta
2. Put the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the geltain over. Leave to soften for 10 minutes.
3. Put the cream,sugar,  scraped vanilla bean and pod in a heavy bottom saucepan and simmer gently for 5-7 minutes. Do not allow to come to a rolling boil. Stir often.
4. Take off heat and stir in the buttermilk and softened gelatin. Whisk to blend well, then strain and pour into serving goblets or ramekins.
5. Chill for 5-6 hours, better overnight.
6. Top with balsamic strawberries, garnish with fresh mint and serve.
7. Balsamic strawberries
8. Gently simmer brown sugar, honey and balsamic vinegar in a small pan until the sugar has melted and is thick and syrupy. 
9. Take off heat and add lime juice. Mix in the chopped strawberries. Leave to macerate for 10-15 minutes.
10. If the strawberries leave a lot of liquid, strain the liquid out, and reduce over medium heat. Mix back into the strawberries and then chill until required.

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